Indications for this operation are same as PCNL. The procedure is done under spinal or general anaesthesia.
Preoperative Intravenous Urogram(IVU) is done to check the location of the stone and confirm the functioning of the kidney. Other blood tests and work up to assess fitness for operation are done pre-operatively.
In this operation, a tact is made through the kidney from skin into the pelvicalyceal system to access the stone. But unlike in PCNL, in which 26 Fr tact is made, in this operation 15-18 Fr tract is made. Through this tract, a miniaturized telescope is used and with the help of Holmium laser the stone is broken and removed.
The advantages of MiniPerc over PCNL:
- Less pain and morbidity after the operation
- Less risk of bleeding as the tract made is smaller and hence, less injury to the kidney tissue.
- shorter hospital stay.
Complications:
These are same as PCNL.
Haematuria: There can be bleeding from the kidney requiring blood transfusion/intervention in less than 1% of patients
- Injury to colon
- injury to lungs
- Hydrothorax/Pneumothorax
- Infection/sepsis
- Urine leak may persist from the tract