Factors Affecting Transfusion During Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Retrospective Study of 665 Cases

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the aspects affecting transfusion following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).Background: From 2016 to 2019, 665 patients underwent PCNL for removal of renal calculi in our center. Complications, including hemorrhages, have been reported. Twenty-three patients (3.5%) have received a blood transfusion and twelve (1.9%) were treated by hyper-selective embolization. We focus on the influencing factors related to postoperative blood transfusion. The factors analyzed were (age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, serum creatinine level, preoperative hemoglobin, and use of anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications); renal and stone factors (previous surgery, abnormal anatomy, stone side, stone burden, stone type); and surgical features: (access number, the calyx of puncture and stone-free rate). These data were analyzed for the presence of bleeding.Results: Among individual factors, preoperative hemoglobin level (P<0.001), and urinary infection (P<0.001) were significantly correlated with blood transfusion. Among renal and stone factors, only previous history of open surgery was significantly correlated with blood transfusion (P<0.05). Stone type or stone burden does not correlate with transfusion. There was also no statistically significant correlation between surgical features and bleeding, and a lower stone-free rate reported for transfusion group.Conclusion: The obtained results demonstrated that PCNL is a safer surgery in a high volume center, but anemic conditions, infections and history of open surgery will significantly increase transfusion rate following PCNL.