Simultaneous single-tract bilateral percutaneous nephrolithotomy in bilateral large complex renal stones is not associated with increased complications: series of 36 consecutive patients.

Background: Simultaneous bilateral percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) offers the advantage of treating stones in both kidneys, thereby reducing the need for multiple surgeries. Due to the limited number of cases, simultaneous PCNL has unwarranted safety and efficacy concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the complications and stone-free rates of simultaneous bilateral PCNL in the treatment of bilateral large complex stones and to compare different access methods.

Method: Between January 2012 and December 2022, 36 consecutive patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral PCNL for large complex renal stones were enrolled. Guy's stone score (GSS) was used to assess the complexity of stone. The preoperative, intraoperative, and post-operative parameters were assessed. The patients were first categorized based on channel size (conventional vs. mini-PCNL), and then further sub-grouped according to specific combinations of tract size and dilation method for comparative analysis.

Results: Thirty-six consecutive patients (72 renal units) underwent simultaneous bilateral PCNL. The median stone burden was 602.43 mm2 (interquartile range: 225-1332.72 mm2), mean surgical duration was 70.9 ± 29.6 minutes for each renal unit (range, 30-140 minutes), and the mean hematocrit reduction was 6.8±8.4%. The mean length of stay was four days, and the stone-free rate was 81.9%. Notably, eGFR (estimated Glomerular filtration rate) values showed significant improvement at one-year follow-up (p < 0.001), with 29.4% of patients showing clinical downstaging. The overall complication rate was 16.7%, with the majority of complications being transient fever. Mini-PCNL had a shorter length of stay (p < 0.05). The complication rates for Amplatz, balloon, and mini-PCNL were 13.3%, 23.1%, and 12.5%, respectively. The post-operative radiographic stone-free rate (SFR) for 72 renal units was 81.9%, with the highest rate in the mini-PCNL group (93.7%).

Conclusions: There was no increase in the rate of complications compared to unilateral PCNL. This study provides valuable insights into surgical outcomes using different access methods.