A 'split-away technique' for percutaneous nephrostomy.

The currently used techniques for nephrostomy sometimes fail to advance the drainage catheter through the nephrostomy track into the renal pelvis. To solve this problem a new technique has been developed. The improvement with this technique is the dilatation of the track with polypropylene dilators and a split-away sheath. The split-away sheath is threaded on the largest dilator. When the dilator is removed the drainage catheter is coaxially passed through the split-away sheath into the renal pelvis. The sheath is then removed. The technique has been used successfully in 32 patients without complications.