Renal function markers in single-kidney patients after percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A pilot study

The present study was performed to investigate and compare renal functions of single‑kidney patients after 12 h of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) surgery through assessing major markers of renal function with focus on serum level of cystatin that performs a consistent accuracy in various conditions.

This pilot quasi‑experimental study was done on 92 patients with single kidney having staghorn calculus who had undergone PCNL and were referred to the Al‑Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, during 2019–2021. Serum levels of cystatin C, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and neutrophil gelatinase‑associated lipocalin (NGAL) urine level were evaluated before and 12 h after surgery.

The mean cystatin C decreased significantly 1.58 ± 0.55 versus mg/L 1.46 ± 0.52 after 12 h after surgery (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean levels of creatinine (2.04 ± 0.71 vs. 1.89 ± 0.60 mg/dL) and NGAL (39.72 ± 12.87 vs. 24.05 ± 10.89 μg/ml) were decreased significantly after 12 h of procedure (P < 0.05) while the mean eGFR (57.62 ± 27.59 vs. 64.68 ± 31.88 ml/min/1.73 m2) was increased significantly after 12 h (P < 0.001).

Due to significant improvement in all markers of renal after PCNL, this procedure can be considered a potentially effective and safe approach for treating large stone in single‑kidney patients.