Abstract:Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of three techniques [moving the stone with a stone basket, ultrasound-guided fine needle percutaneous renal puncture and super-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SMP)] assisted flexible ureteroscopy in treatment of complex subrenal calyx calculus.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 102 patients who underwent flexible ureteroscopy in the treatment of subrenal calyx calculus from May 2017 to June 2019, requiring the above-mentioned auxiliary treatment. The calculus that could not be routinely reached by flexible ureteroscope were transferred to the middle and upper calyx for lithotripsy using a stone basket. The calculus that were difficult to be removed using a stone basket were removed by ultrasound-guided fine needle percutaneous renal puncture before lithotripsy. For patients that still difficult to be treated using the above two methods, the SMP was used through the fine needle puncture port. At 1 day after the operation, abdominal plain film was repeated to check the condition of double J tubes. The double-J tube was removed 1 month later and CT was reexamined 3 months later to investigate the condition of stone clearance. The efficacy was evaluated by analyzing intraoperative blood loss and stone clearance rate.Results Among the 102 patients, 60 cases were successfully comminuted by transferring the stones to the middle and upper calyces using stone basket; 13 cases of calculus not covered with stone basket, fine needle aspiration under B ultrasound localization could successfully move and comminute the calculus; 29 cases that could not be displaced by stone basket and fine needle aspiration underwent SMP for successful lithotripsy. The surgical duration was 0.5~3.0 h, with an average of 2.1 h. Postoperative hospital stay was 2.0~3.0 d, with an average of 1.5 d. The blood loss was from 0 to 50 mL with an average of 12 mL. The stone clearance rate was 91.2% (93/102) at 3 months after surgery. There were no serious complications such as ureteral avulsion, ureteral perforation and septic shock.Conclusion Three techniques (moving the stone with a stone basket, ultrasound-guided fine needle percutaneous renal puncture and SMP) can assist flexible ureteroscopic lithotomy in treatment of complex subrenal calyx calculus, which is safe and effective.