Nephrostomy in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL): does nephrostomy tube size matter? Results from The Global PCNL Study from The Clinical Research Office Endourology Society

PURPOSE: To explore the relationships between nephrostomy tube (NT) size and outcome of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). METHODS: The Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society (CROES) prospectively collected data from consecutive patients treated with PCNL over a 1-year period at 96 participating centers worldwide. This report focuses on the 3,968 patients who received a NT of known size. Preoperative, surgical procedure and outcome data were analyzed according to NT size, dividing patients into two groups, namely small-bore (SB; nephrostomy size ≤ 18 Fr) and large-bore (LB; nephrostomy size > 18 Fr) NT. RESULTS: Patients who received a LB NT had a significantly lower rate of hemoglobin reduction (3.0 vs. 4.3 g/dL; P