Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: Comparison of the Efficacies and Feasibilities of Regional and General Anesthesia

PURPOSE: To compare surgical outcomes and complications after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) under regional or general anesthesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and one patients who underwent PCNL as a first-line treatment for kidney calculi between June 2004 and June 2013 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were classified into two groups by anesthetic method: 77 were allocated to the regional anesthesia group and 24 to the general anesthesia group. Patient general characteristics, stone features, surgical outcomes, and complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The two groups were similar in terms of mean age and stone size, number, and type. Furthermore, they did not differ significantly in terms of general characteristics, treatment outcomes, or complications excluding postoperative fever. However, mean hospital stay was significantly shorter in the regional anesthesia group than in the general anesthesia group (8.9±3.2 days vs. 11.5±6.9 days, respectively, p=0.025). Also, the postoperative fever rate was significantly higher in the general anesthesia group (53.2% vs. 83.3%, respectively, p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Regional anesthesia is as effective as general anesthesia during percutaneous nephrolithotomy and is associated with shorter hospital stays and lower rates of postoperative fever.