Avoiding Bowel Perforation During Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Patients with Renal Anomalies

Abstract

The complication rate for nephrostomy puncture and nephrolithotomy is low in experienced hands but increases when renal anomalies or perirenal anatomic variants are present. Recently, a considerable incidence of retrorenal colon has been demonstrated in prone-positioned patients. In these cases, bowel perforation may occur with the usual nephrostomy approach. Preprocedural CT of the abdomen will alert the endourlogist to an anatomic variant and help in the planning of an approach that will avoid a potentially serious complication.