Review articleSafety of tubeless or totally tubeless drainage and nephrostomy tube as a drainage following percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A comprehensive review

SummaryPercutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) using a nephrostomy tube as a drainage has been considered the standard procedure. However, recently many literatures have reported the use of tubeless and totally tubeless drainage following PCNL with excellent results. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE databases to review each drainage technique following PCNL (tubeless, totally tubeless, or nephrostomy tube) and also to assess the most recent evidence that compare the safety of these drainage procedures with a clear-cut clinical parameter imposed. Tubeless or totally tubeless PCNL is significantly superior to standard PCNL in terms of length of hospital stay, postoperative pain (visual analog scale) score, demands or dosage of analgesics required, as well as faster return to activity for the patients. However, despite the many advantages of tubeless or totally tubeless PCNL over standard PCNL, there are a number of situations requiring the consideration of nephrostomy tube placement. Nonetheless, decision to use or not to use nephrostomy tube after PCNL depends on the surgeon's experience and clinical judgment.