Do previous percutaneous renal procedures affect the outcome of ultrasound-guided PCNL? A study at a large-volume center

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the influence of previous percutaneous renal procedures on the outcome of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in patients with upper urinary tract stones. Patients and methods: = 160). All the procedures were performed under US guidance. Standard access (22-24 Fr) was achieved in all patients in the prone position. Relevant patient characteristics, operative variables, and postoperative data were collected and analyzed, focusing on the stone-free rate (SFR) and complications. Results: = 0.1). Postoperative hospitalization, hemoglobin loss, transfusion rate, embolization rate, and overall complication rate were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided PCNL is safe and effective for patients with prior PCNL history, demonstrating an acceptable SFR. However, these cases exhibited prolonged access creation time, increased operative duration, and required more surgical tracts compared to naive cases.