Some stones located in the kidneys are too complex to remove using ureteroscopy or pyeloscopy. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a minimally invasive procedure to remove stones from the kidney. It is usually used for very large kidney stones > 2cm in length.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is performed under general anaesthetic and involves using a thin telescopic instrument called a nephroscope. An incision (cut) is made in your back. The nephroscope is passed through the incision and into your kidney. The stone is then either pulled out intact (if small) or broken into smaller pieces before being removed.
