TUBELESS PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTOMY-A CRITICAL ANALYSIS FOR SAFETY AND EFFICACY.

Aims And Objectives: To assess the safety profile and simultaneously observe the associated morbidity of Tubeless Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy. Materials And Methods: A total of 54 patients were enrolled in this study and studied prospectively for a period of one and a half year. Out of 54 patients 10 were having upper calyceal stones, 14 pelvic stones, 12 middle calyceal, 10 patients lower calyceal and 8 patients proximal ureteric stones. All the punctures were made in prone position and under the guidance of fluoroscopy. Results: The overall complication rate in our study was 22.22%. Four patients(7.40%) presented with residual disease and another three patients(5.56%) with persistent soakage. The other complications include hydrothorax in two patients(3.7%), two patient(3.70%) developed post-operative fever/sepsis and another one had prolonged hematuria(1.85%). Conclusion: From our study, we concluded that tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy is both safe as we as effective version of PCNL as far as outcome and morbidity is concerned.