Effect of freeze time during renal cryoablation: a swine model.

Background And Purpose: Cryotherapy provides a minimally invasive treatment for small renal tumors via an open, percutaneous, or laparoscopic approach. We sought to determine the most appropriate duration of freezing and the number of probes necessary to produce cell death without concomitant morbidity.

Materials And Methods: Nine domestic female pigs were divided into three groups of three animals each.

Ureteral access sheath provides protection against elevated renal pressures during routine flexible ureteroscopic stone manipulation.

Background And Purpose: New-generation flexible ureteroscopes allow the management of proximal ureteral and intrarenal pathology with high success rates, including complete removal of ureteral and renal calculi. One problem is that the irrigation pressures generated within the collecting system can be significantly elevated, as evidenced by pyelovenous and pyelolymphatic backflow seen during retrograde pyelography. We sought to determine if the ureteral access sheath (UAS) can offer protection from high intrarenal pressures attained during routine ureteroscopic stone surgery.

Pain after percutaneous nephrolithotomy: impact of nephrostomy tube size.

Background And Purpose: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the procedure of choice for managing large renal calculi. Investigations have recently focused on reducing the morbidity of the procedure and improving postoperative patient comfort by using smaller endoscopic instruments. We sought to evaluate the effect of a smaller percutaneous drainage catheter on postoperative pain.

Use of bipolar laparoscopic forceps to occlude and transect the retroperitoneal vasculature: a porcine model.

Background And Purpose: Surgical clips are commonly employed during laparoscopic radical nephrectomy to ligate perihilar vessels reliably, yet these clips can interfere with the application of a vascular stapler to major vessels, potentially leading to catastrophic hemorrhage. We assessed the efficacy of the PlasmaKinetic trade mark (PK) bipolar cutting forceps (Gyrus Medical, Minneapolis, MN) as a single modality in coagulating and dividing the retroperitoneal vessels in a swine model.

Materials And Methods: Three 40- to 50-kg domestic swine (six renal units) underwent celiotomy and retroperitoneal exposure.