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Abstract

A retrospective review was conducted to evaluate intraoperative and patient outcomes following simultaneous bilateral percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SB-PCNL). Target stone characteristics, operative time, hospitalization length, post-operative complications, blood loss, opioid use, pain, and stone-free rates were evaluated. In total, 42 patients with large renal stones (>20 mm²) were identified for this study, and 38% of them achieved stone-free status with no residual fragments apparent on post-operative day one CT imaging. The maximum mean residual fragment size was 3.67 mm² and average number of residual fragments following the procedures was 1.63. The rates of blood loss, post-operative complications, opioid use, and pain from the study cohort were similar to the reported outcomes of studies conducted by others. The potential benefits of a single procedure and anesthesia to treat bilateral stone burdens, lower total pain medication prescribed, and lower hospital costs render SB-PCNL as an attractive option in the treatment of bilateral kidney stones.