The Using Of Balloon Dilator In The Establishment Of Tract Of Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and safety of balloon dilator in the establishment of tract of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed medical records of60patients who had undergone percutaneous nephrolithotripsy procedures during January2011to January2012. The nephrostomy tract had been dilated with a balloon (25patients) or Amplatz (35patients) dilator. The dilation success rate, tract formation time, total operating time, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin concentrations, blood transfusion rate, stone free rate, secondlook surgery rate, average postoperative hospital stay and the cost of hospitalization were compared between the two groups.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in dilation success rate, preoperative hemoglobin concentration, postoperative hemoglobin concentration and average postoperative hospital stay between the two groups. All the patients dilated by balloon dilator were successful, but2cases dilated by Amplatz dilator were failed. The tract formation time of balloon group was shorter than that of Amplatz group(12.1±1.9min vs15.7±2.9min; P<0.01). And the total operating time of balloon group was shorter too(115.8±22.9min vs129.9±24.0min; P=0.026). The blood transfusion rate of balloon group is4%(1/25) while the Amplatz group is25.7%(9/35), and there was statistically difference(P=0.035). The stone free rate of the balloon group is100%and that of the Amplatz group is80%, which had significant difference(P=0.035).7patients had residual stones in the Amplatz group, one’s stone had passed spontaneously2weeks after surgery, three of whom underwent ESWL2-3weeks later and the rest of the patients had a secondlook surgery to remove the residual stones1-3weeks after the surgery, there were statistically differences of secondlook surgery rate between the two groups. The cost of hospitalization is higher in the balloon group than the Amplatz group.Conclusion:The using of balloon dilator in the establishment of percutaneous tract was safe, effective and reliable.