The Urology Service at Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim has been using, since 2017, minimally invasive surgeries for the treatment of renal lithiasis, using the most advanced equipment, namely, the MiniPerc kit (a specific endoscopic system to operate inside the kidney) and the laser Dornier Medilas H UroPulse. This type of urological surgery is performed by the urologist Vítor Cavadas (on the right, in the photo above). Renal lithiasis – regularly known as kidney stones – is a very common disease of the urinary tract, where the metabolic alterations of the body generate the formation of calculi (stones) in the kidney, as result of the accumulation of crystals, being the frequent and recurrent cause of great pain, eventually leading to renal insufficiency. In many hospital centers, this disease is treated trough percutaneous surgery , in replacement of the open surgery to the kidney, which entails multiple complications. It consists in the use of a small aperture in the skin, in the lumbar region, through which a tubular device is inserted inside the kidney, allowing the passage of the surgical instruments of visualization, fragmentation and removal of fragments of calculi under intervention. The MiniPerc system is similar of the traditional percutaneous surgery but uses devices of even smaller dimensions to access the inside of the kidney. Combined with the use of the endoscope, it allows to obtain better results, with less complications, with the calculi being removed using a laser. Advantages of the MiniPerc surgery: Incision to the skin about 70% smaller than in traditional percutaneous surgery; Lower rate of residual fragments; Lower risk of infection and post-operative bleeding; Shorter hospitalization (24 hours or less); A post-operative stage with practically no pain, with an earlier return to active life; Excellent aesthetical results (no visible scar on the third month).
