A team of urologists at the Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology (AINU), Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, have achieved a remarkable feat by successfully extracting 418 kidney stones from a 60-year-old patient with only 27% kidney function.
Facing a challenge with an unparalleled number of kidney stones and severely impaired kidney function, the patient, Mallesh, benefited from an unconventional strategy. Instead of opting for the conventional and more invasive approach, the team, led by Dr. K Purna Chandra Reddy, Dr. Gopal R. Tak, and Dr. Dinesh M, decided to employ Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL), a minimally invasive technique.
PCNL involves creating small incisions through which specialised instruments, including a miniature camera and laser probes, are introduced into the kidney. This enables surgeons to precisely target and eliminate the stones without the need for extensive surgical openings, thereby minimising trauma and hastening the patient’s recovery.
According to the doctors, the procedure unfolded over two hours as the surgical team extracted each stone, navigating through the intricate network of the urinary tract. Advanced imaging technology and state-of-the-art equipment played a pivotal role in addressing the extensive stone burden while preserving the delicate balance of kidney function.
