In the past, treating kidney stones for some patients might have encountered problems and obstacles in treatment, such as frequent formation of new stones, requiring multiple surgeries, or stones being too numerous or too large to be treated with lithotripsy. The method used was kidney stone endoscopic surgery. However, nowadays, technology has advanced to allow kidney stone treatment without surgery.
The treatment of kidney stones has been continuously developed. The well-known method is “lithotripsy” (ESWL: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy), which can cure patients without surgery. But it has limitations and cannot be appropriately used for every patient, such as cases where stones are numerous, large, and hard, or break down slowly, requiring multiple sessions and long treatment times, and many patients still need surgery. Therefore, a new innovation called PCNL was developed.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are more common in industrialized countries than in agricultural countries. Kidney stones often result from highly concentrated urine that precipitates into stones, usually forming in the kidney’s calyx. When stones move down to the ureter, immediate and severe abdominal pain occurs. It is found that once stones occur, there is about a 50% chance of recurrence within 5-10 years. Eighty percent of patients can pass stones naturally if the stones are smaller than 4 millimeters.
Treatment of Kidney Stones by Endoscopic Surgery (PCNL)
PCNL (Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy) is “endoscopic surgery to remove kidney stones.” It is a new treatment option for kidney stones without open surgery, aiming to overcome diseases with minimal treatment injury. It can replace “lithotripsy.” PCNL
The treatment method uses an endoscope inserted into the kidney to remove stones through a small single incision on the patient’s back. The surgeon selects the appropriate position for endoscopy using a fluoroscope to guide the location and then makes a small incision about 1 centimeter in size.
This small incision is like a keyhole (Key-hole Surgery) to insert the nephroscope into the kidney. When the stone is found, the surgeon breaks it into small pieces using a Lithoclast Lithotripsy device and then removes the stones through the same incision. The advantage of PCNL treatment is that patients receive highly effective stone removal comparable to open surgery but with much less treatment injury.
Advantages of Kidney Stone Endoscopic Surgery
- Can effectively operate on large or hard stones
- Lower risk of complications compared to open kidney surgery
- Much smaller wounds
- Shorter recovery or convalescence time than open surgery
Precautions to Know
- There may be risks of infection or injury affecting nearby organs
- Recovery may take some time
- Continuous follow-up of treatment results is necessary
Summary of Kidney Stone Endoscopic Surgery
Treatment of kidney stones by PCNL (Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy) is a developed method to avoid open surgery with minimal bodily harm. It uses instruments and equipment to pierce through the skin with a small hole into the kidney calyx, then uses an endoscope to locate the kidney stones. After finding the stones, tools are inserted to break the stones into small pieces, then suction or forceps are used to remove the stones.
This treatment results in a small wound about 1-2 cm compared to an open surgery wound of 15-20 cm. Therefore, pain is less, and hospital recovery time is only 3-5 days after surgery. Patients can return to normal work much faster than with open surgery. If interested in treatment, you can contact the clinic or ask for more information for free via Line.
