Carbon Dioxide-Based Nephroscopy During Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty Provides Suboptimal View When Stones Are Located in the Lower Calices

Abstract

Flexible nephroscopy while using carbon dioxide to insufflate the collecting system has been described as a “good trick” to remove caliceal stones during laparoscopic pyelolithotomy. We found this true only for those calices with undisturbed urine drain into the renal pelvis, while it provided suboptimal view of stones that were located in dependent lower pole calices. We describe how we dealt successfully with a group of lower pole caliceal stones during laparoscopic pyeloplasty.