Standard vs Mini-PCNL for the Treatment of Stone Disease

This study is a randomized controlled trial which compares the operative outcomes and complications of mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) versus standard PCNL for renal stones. This study will be a multi-institutional, prospective randomized controlled clinical trial with patients who have already agreed to undergo PCNL. Patients will be randomized at a 1:1 ratio to receive either standard PCNL or mini-PCNL, defined as tract sizes of 30 and 16.5 to 18 French respectively. Patients will be asked to complete pre-operative, and post-operative quality of life questionnaires, and to allow collection of one additional vial of blood for measurement of factors associated with inflammation. The participating institutions are academic medical centers in the United States and Canada that are part of the EDGE research consortium.