Migration of a Hem-o-Lok clip to the renal pelvis after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: A case report

BACKGROUND: Hem-o-Lok clip (HOLC) has been widely used in laparoscopic surgery due to its ease of application and secure clamping, though the rare complications associated with this technique should not be ignored. The rare complications of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy consist of the clip migrating into the renal pelvis and acting as a nidus for stone formation. CASE SUMMARY: The case described here involved a 63-year-old woman who was found with stones in the right kidney and upper ureter during a recent reexamination following laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. We performed percutaneous nephrolithotomy for her, but during the operation, it was found that the center of the stone within the kidney was a HOLC, which was removed with forceps. For this reason, we speculate that the HOLC, which was employed to halt tumor wound bleeding, spontaneously drifted into the renal pelvis and formed kidney stones, with the clip being initially misdiagnosed as a kidney stone. CONCLUSION: By reviewing related case reports, we conclude that in order to prevent complications related to HOLC, loose clips should be actively searched for and retrieved from the wound during urinary tract surgery, while the deployment of clips in close proximity of anastomotic stoma of collecting systems should be avoided.