Preoperative Assessment and Patient Preparation for PCNL Surgery

PCNL is a complex major operation, and preoperative assessment and patient preparation are designed to optimize patients for their surgery and to deliver safe surgery and anaesthesia. Regular multidisciplinary planning and safety meetings are useful to optimize patient care preoperatively and to reduce intraoperative and postoperative complications. A UTI must be treated preoperatively and appropriate antibiotics should be given at induction and postoperatively. Anticoagulants and powerful antiplatelet medication must be stopped perioperatively and a bridging plan put in place. High-risk patients should be identified and electively managed after their surgery in a high dependency unit.