Percutaneous nephrolithotomy versus retrograde intrarenal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Context: Recent advances in technology have led to the implementation of mini- and micro-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) as well as retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in the management of kidney stones.

Objective: To provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing RIRS with PCNL techniques for the treatment of kidney stones.

Evidence Acquisition: A systematic literature review was performed in March 2014 using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant studies.