Editorial comment

Access remains the single most fundamentally important procedural step for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). It is the part of the procedure least familiar to most urologists and is also a leading cause of PCNL failure. In a contemporary series of unsuccessful primary PCNL's, inability to obtain proper access was listed as the reason for failure in over 80% of cases.1 One scenario and reason that some PCNL's are aborted is an inability to navigate a wire through the kidney and down the ureter.
Source: Urology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Source Type: research