Treated with latest Minimally-Invasive procedure Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
- Discharged post 2 days of surgery
For Mr Om Prakash, it has been a journey of pain, patience, discovery and accomplishment. Over the last few months he had been suffering from persistent pain in the abdomen and discomfort while passing urine. A open surgery in Jaipur could also not relieve him and his perils persisted. Being a business man, for him every day in hospital, would mean a day of loss. Unhappy with his quality of life and medical condition, he decided to take a second opinion and consult other specialists. On a visit to his son to Gurgaon, Mr Om Prakash consulted Dr. Anurag Khaitan, Chief Consultant Urology, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon.
According to Dr. Anurag, “His reports and discharge summary of the prior surgery highlighted that he had kidney stone. In fact the signs and symptoms also supported the same diagnosis. However as routine, we did recommend few tests and ultrasounds to know the present situation. To our astonishment, we just didn’t find kidney stones, but a Stag Horn Stone in a kidney with two tubes.”
Dr. Anurag further shares, “ A Stag Horn is a rare type of Kidney Stone and is usually found in people that have recurrent renal infections. It is a term used to describe a large stone that takes up more than one branch of the collecting system in the renal pelvis of the kidney. Staghorn stones form in the renal pelvis. Some of the risk factors for staghorn stone formation include long standing history of stones, certain unique metabolic defects, and repeated urinary tract infections with particular types of bacteria. If a staghorn stone occurs in association with infection, there may be a pattern of intermittent and recurrent infection which may persist until the staghorn stone is removed.”
Taking into consideration the rarity of the case in view of difficult anatomy, Dr. Anurag Khaitan and his team recommended immediate surgery. They also decided to use a special technique to remove the stone – Per Cutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
“Mr Om just didn’t just have a stag horn shaped kidney stone, he even had double uterer tubes. If a staghorn stone is not treated, then renal deterioration occurs in at least 1 out of 4 patients. Over time, an untreated staghorn calculus is likely to destroy the kidney and/or cause life-threatening infections (sepsis). Complete removal of the stone is important in order to eradicate infection, relieve obstruction, prevent further stone growth, and preserve kidney function,” shares Dr. Anurag.
The PCNL treatment is a minimally-invasive procedure to remove stones from the kidney by a small puncture wound (up to about 1 cm) through the skin. It is most suitable to remove stones of more than 2 cm in size and which are present near the pelvic region.
The minimally invasive procedure provided a no scar and early recovery solution to Mr Om and his family. Just after 2 days post surgery, he was fit to be discharged. “I never realized that ignoring my pain signs could lead to such complications. Though my situation as described by the doctors seemed rare, however thanks to the exceptional guidance and support of humble doctors at Paras, today I am free of pain and fit to go back home. Never did we feel hassled or direction less. Dr. Anurag and his team was always there to steer us away from any negativity or doubts. I am indebted to his able expertise, “ shares Mr Om.