Management of cystinuric patients: an observational, retrospective, single-centre analysis.

Objective: A critical appraisal of the management of patients with cystine stones treated in our unit in the past 6 years and to analyze the outcome of multimodality therapies.

Study Design: An observational, single-centre retrospective study.

Methods: We reviewed the records of all patients with stones referred to our centre over a 6-year period from 1998 to 2005.

A randomized controlled trial of human versus robotic and telerobotic access to the kidney as the first step in percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Objective: We present results from the first randomized controlled trial of human vs. telerobotic access to the kidney during percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Methods: To compare (a) human with robotic percutaneous needle access and (b) local robotic with trans-Atlantic robotic percutaneous needle access, we used a validated kidney model into which a needle was inserted 304 times.

Multimodal management of urolithiasis in renal transplantation.

Objective: To report the largest single series of renal transplant patients (adults and children) with urolithiasis, assess the risk factors associated with urolithiasis in renal transplant recipients, and report the outcome of the multimodal management by endourological and open procedures.

Patients And Methods: The records of all patients undergoing renal transplantation between 1977 and 2003 were reviewed. In all, 2085 patients had a renal transplant at our centre and 21 (17 adults and four children) developed urinary tract calculi.

Defining the learning curve for percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Purpose: To define the learning curve for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) using three potential surrogate markers of surgical expertise.

Materials And Methods: The learning curve of an endourologist with no previous experience at performing solo PCNL was studied. Three putative parameters of expertise were reviewed, namely, operating time, fluoroscopic screening time, and radiation dose.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy in early pregnancy.

Most cases of urolithiasis in pregnancy are managed conservatively either with ureteric stents or percutaneous nephrostomy tubes, which need to be changed at regular intervals. Definitive management of the stone is usually delayed till after delivery. We describe a patient who presented with pyonephrosis in the fifth week of gestation, due to a stone obstructing the right ureteropelvic junction.