Purpose: To evaluate the safety of one-day length of hospital stay (LOS) after pediatric percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL), and to study the predictors of LOS.
Methods: A retrospective study included pediatric patients who PNL for renal calculi more than 1 cm between January 2016 and October 2019. PNL was performed in prone position. The nephrostomy tubes and ureteric catheters were removed on the second day and patients were discharged if there was no perforation or significant residual stones. The stone free rate, LOS and the surgical complications were reported. Bivariate and multivariate analysis were used to predict the LOS.
Results: 220 patients were identified. The median age (range) was eight (Range: 3-17) years. Stone free rate was achieved in 200 patients (91%) of patients, while residual fragments were detected in 20 patients (9%). Complications, they were reported in 50 (22.7%) patients. 184 (83.6%) of patients stayed at the hospital for only 1 day, while 36 (16. 4%) stayed more than 1 day. Of 36 patients who stayed more than one-day, 34 had complications (p value <0.001).On multivariate analysis, surgical complications was found to be the only predictor of longer LOS (p value <0.001).
Conclusion: Early nephrostomy tube removal and 1-day length of hospital stay could be a safe option after pediatric PNL. Surgical complications is a statistically significant predictor of longer LOS.
Keywords: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy; hospital stay; pediatric; renal calculi.