Suction mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy versus standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the management of 2–4 cm kidney stones: study protocol for an international, multicenter, parallel-group, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial - Summary - MDSpire

Suction mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy versus standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the management of 2–4 cm kidney stones: study protocol for an international, multicenter, parallel-group, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial

  • By

  • Wen Zhong

  • Kehua Jiang

  • Xuepei Zhang

  • Chi Ho Leung

  • Wei Zhu

  • Zhanping Xu

  • Guofu Pang

  • Zhongyi Sun

  • Fan Cheng

  • Jin Li

  • Jie Chen

  • Yuanwei Li

  • Houmeng Yang

  • Shulian Chen

  • Chuanxun Wu

  • Rui Jia

  • Jin Zhu

  • Jorge Gutierrez-Aceves

  • Emanuele Montanari

  • Shabir Almousawi

  • Iliya Saltirov

  • Marcin Popiolek

  • Albert Aquino

  • Giorgio Mazzon

  • Simon Choong

  • Haibo Xi

  • Steffi Kar Kei Yuen

  • Guohua Zeng

  • February 26, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To determine whether suction mini-PCNL is noninferior to standard PCNL in terms of surgical efficiency, specifically focusing on primary outcomes such as stone-free rate (SFR) and operative time in the management of 2–4 cm kidney stones.

Key Findings:
  • SFRs for suction mini-PCNL and standard PCNL are reported as 83% and 86%, respectively, indicating comparable effectiveness.
  • Noninferiority margin for SFR is set at -10%, suggesting a clinically acceptable difference.
  • Operative times for suction mini-PCNL are assumed to be noninferior to standard PCNL, pending trial results.
Interpretation:

The study aims to provide high-level evidence on the efficacy and safety of suction mini-PCNL compared to standard PCNL for larger kidney stones, potentially influencing treatment guidelines.

Limitations:
  • Potential for bias due to lack of surgeon blinding.
  • Generalizability may be limited to participating centers.
  • Selection bias may occur if eligible patients are not uniformly approached.
Conclusion:

This trial will clarify the role of suction mini-PCNL in treating 2–4 cm renal stones and its comparative effectiveness to standard PCNL, paving the way for future research and clinical practice improvements.

Original Source(s)

Suction mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy versus standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the management of 2–4 cm kidney stones: study protocol for an international, multicenter, parallel-group, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial

  • by Wen Zhong, Kehua Jiang, Xuepei Zhang, Chi Ho Leung, Wei Zhu, Zhanping Xu, Guofu Pang, Zhongyi Sun, Fan Cheng, Jin Li, Jie Chen, Yuanwei Li, Houmeng Yang, Shulian Chen, Chuanxun Wu, Rui Jia, Jin Zhu, Jorge Gutierrez-Aceves, Emanuele Montanari, Shabir Almousawi, Iliya Saltirov, Marcin Popiolek, Albert Aquino, Giorgio Mazzon, Simon Choong, Haibo Xi, Steffi Kar Kei Yuen, Guohua Zeng

  • February 26, 2026

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