PCNL surgery advice please

Not sure if this has been made clear. Tube out the back is standard operating procedure for a pcnl. You wake up with it there draining. Will be removed after a day or two. No stitches, the wound heals by itself.

That's weird. that they are making a keyhole and placing a tube before surgery? When it comes out, well, as i recall, uncomfortable on the one hand, but a relief on the other. The wound will still be draining so they will jury-rig something in the back to catch the liquid, combo of blood and urine. You will be fine.

Prior to the surgery, I was given a CT scan, to make sure where everything was. My PCNL surgery was performed under anaesthesia and I woke up with one tube out the back for drainage and another tube (not a stent) up the urethra, also for drainage. I think the operation may have taken 3 hours or so. Lots of pain initially; no fun with the tubes. Ask for morphine or Percocet. I was two days in hospital. My operation and hospital stay cost $3400,00. Luckily, picked up by my insurance. No fears, you'll make it through and the results will be fantastic.

Hi Deborah,

I realize that you posted this 3 weeks ago, but I'm responding just in case this is helpful to future readers.

I had PCNL done 9 days ago. I already had a kidney stent that was placed a month earlier when the 20 mm stone was placed.

I arrived at the hospital on Friday at 6 am. I went to

radiology at 8 am. I was awake during that procedure, but sedated and in no pain. I was sent to surgery at 11 am, and I was in my room by 3 pm. I had a foley catheter and a nephrostomy tube. The nephrostomy tube is really just a catheter. The foley was removed the following morning. I received pain meds on Friday evening, but I didn't need anything after that, not even Tylenol. The tube was uncomfortable, but not painful. It took me a while to find the most comfortable position. Because I was doing well, on Sunday the urologist decided to cap the nephrostomy tube and see if I could tolerate not having the bag. On Monday, he declded to bypass the final radiology test, removed the tube bedside, and sent me home.

When I got home, I had no issues with stairs. The one thing I didn't anticipate was how messy it was. There was so much drainage from the tube site that we were changing the dressing every 2 hours the first day. It stopped by the second day. I used puppy training pads to protect our furniture.

The only discomfort I have experienced is because of the stent, which will be removed next week

I was there 3 nights. But that's only because at our hospital, interventional radiology isn't open on weekends. Since the urologist ended up skipping that step, I easily could have come home after the 2nd night.

A few other things... There was a lot of leakage from around the nephrology tube-- the bed was soaked and the nurse did a 3 am sheet change. This is normal and is mostly the result of gravity. Once I sat upright, it got better, One of the standard meds that they give turns your urine a reddish-yellow color, It will stain clothing. I discovered that pet stain spray will get the stain out. (pet pads, pet spray, see a pattern?)

It took me over a day to figure out how to lay comfortably with tube. If you place a small pillow or folded towel on the opposite side of your back, it takes the pressure off the tube.

Good luck tomorrow!

Great news!