Tests and Procedures
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy
Why it's done
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is typically recommended in the following situations:
- Large kidney stones are blocking more than one branch of the collecting system of the kidney (known as staghorn kidney stones)
- Kidney stones are larger than 0.8 inch (2 centimeters) in diameter
- Large stones are in the ureter
- Other therapies have failed
Before you undergo percutaneous nephrolithotomy, your doctor will perform several tests. Urine and blood tests check for signs of infection or other problems, and a computerized tomography (CT) scan determines where the stones are in your kidney.