SIMULTANEOUS BILATERAL PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTOMY

We report three cases including, to our knowledge, the only one of simultaneous bilateral percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SBPN) for bilateral full staghorn calculi. Standard, well-described techniques were employed using a complementary combination of rigid and flexible instruments. After successful treatment of the initial renal stone in the typically stable patient, the contralateral stone could be treated in a similar manner under the same anesthetic without significantly increasing the morbidity. Bilateral percutaneous procedures were well tolerated and were without significant complication, blood loss, or technical difficulty. All patients were discharged stone free after a 5- to 8-day hospital stay. This approach was felt to represent significant savings in both time and cost for all parties involved. We believe that SBPN is a well-tolerated, safe, expeditious, and cost-efficient approach for appropriately selected patients being treated at centers proficient in percutaneous techniques.