Results of the clinical use of a 'dry' kidney's hypothermia.

This report describes the operative treatment of staghorn renal stones under ischaemia and hypothermia. The renal artery is blocked by digital pressure and the vascular pedicule is clamped. The kidney is cooled to an optimal level as established by the author (between 20 and 25 degrees C) by means of his own device for local hypothermia. Late results observed over a period of 0.5--5 years in 30 out of 40 patients showed no renal stone relapse and 3 (10%) 'false' relapses. In 25 cases (83.3%) the function of the kidney improved and in 8 out of 10 cases (80%) the arterial blood pressure returned to normal.