Percutaneous urolithotomy: the use of balloon catheters as an adjunct.

Balloon catheters were used in three patients to assist in the removal of upper urinary tract calculi that resisted extraction by conventional means. Both angioplasty catheters and Foley catheters may be used to dislodge hard-to-reach calyceal calculi or ureteral calculi into more accessible locations, such as the renal pelvis or an ileal conduit.