A randomised controlled trial comparing infectious complications using mini perc with and without suction for renal stones less than 3 cm in size

Tract size between 14-22 Fr is called as mini-PCNL. This was first introduced in the year 2001 and since then various modifications have been made to the equipment.

Miniaturization of PCNL sheath decreases morbidity to the patient. There is a decrease in blood loss with maintained stone-free rates along with a lesser need for blood transfusion. There is greater manoeuvrability of the miniaturised sheath in the pelvicalyceal system as well as less requirement of placement of nephrostomy tube in mini-PCNL. There is an additional benefit that the smaller dust particles are also extracted leaving behind little chance of a residual fragments.

The use of suction sheath in Mini-PCNL was introduced with the rationale that it decreases intra-renal

pressure, makes stone extraction more efficient and provides better vision due to lesser “dust-storm†formation

Superperc was a terminology that was initially used with a 10-14 Fr suction sheath but the subsequent  generation sheaths are available up to 21 Fr and the use of the term is not restricted to sheath size

For large size of stone there have been studies that have proved the superiority of using suction sheath by decreasing operating time and increasing the stone-free rate. There is evidence to support the use of suction sheath in the presence of pyonephrosis. However there is a gap in the knowledge when it comes to use of a suction sheath in medium sized stones

To add to the existing knowledge and bridge the gap of a randomised control trial comparing miniperc with and without a suction sheath for medium size stones, in this study, we compare Mini-PCNL with and without a suction sheath in renal calculi upto 3 cm in size.