We evaluated the outcomes and complications occurring following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedures performed in paediatric patients.

We report the outcomes of 3,003 percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedures performed in our institution between March 1998 and December 2014. The PCNL procedures were performed under general anaesthesia. The ureteral catheter was installed in the supine position during cystoscopy under C-arm fluoroscopy guidance and, after turning the patient into the prone position, the kidney with stone was entered with a metal needle under fluoroscopy. The Amplatz renal dilator set was used (dilation or balloon renal dilator). The nephrostomy catheter was placed in the renal sheath. After completion of PCNL procedures, residual asymptomatic stones of 4 mm or less in size were considered clinically insignificant. Of the total number of patients, 2,699 (89.88%) achieved stone clearance. Bleeding requiring transfusion occurred in 186 cases (6.19%), of which 14 (0.47%) were treated with embolisation angiography. A double-J stent was inserted in 158 patients (5.26%). Pneumothorax occurred in 24 patients (0.80%) and colon perforation occurred in one patient (0.03%). In angiography, the bleeding site was not identified in one patient and open repair was performed. Mean duration of hospitalisation was 3.3 days and the nephrostomy tube was kept for a mean duration of 2.6 days.

Background: Radiation-induced tissue degeneration is the most important side effect of radiotherapy. Sitagliptin with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity was tested in alleviating the radiation-induced cellular degeneration in kidney and testis tissues. Methods: Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups as control, radiation (RT), radiation + sitagliptin (RT + SGT), and sitagliptin + radiation (SGT + RT). The RT group received 8 Gy radiation. Sitagliptin was applied per os at a 10 mg/kg dose for 14 days to the SGT groups either after or before radiation. Results: Radiation induced marked oxidative stress in kidney and testis tissues, whereas sitagliptin partially restored several antioxidant parameters in the kidney and reduced MDA levels in the testis. Histologically, radiation caused degenerative changes in the renal tubules and glomerulus and the testicular seminiferous tubules, while sitagliptin treatment attenuated these changes in both organs. Caspase-3 expression increased significantly after radiation treatment in the kidney without substantial improvement by sitagliptin; however, VEGF expression, which was markedly reduced by radiation in both tissues, was restored in sitagliptin-treated groups. FGF expression suppressed in all irradiated groups as compared to the control with no significant differences among them. Conclusions: Overall, the results indicated that sitagliptin can be used to attenuate the degenerative effects induced by radiation. Sitagliptin use after radiation as compared to the before use showed significantly better results especially in the kidney tissue.