SynthesisBMJ open2020
Balloon versus Amplatz for tract dilation in fluoroscopically guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Comparing Balloon Dilation to Non-Balloon Dilation for Access in Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of UrologyPooled it
- A comparison on safety and efficacy between 24 Fr versus 18 Fr pneumatic balloon dilators for percutaneous treatment of renal stones between 10 and 20 mm: results from a contemporary cohort.World journal of urology · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Retained Intrarenal Guidewire Fragment After Endourological Stone Surgery: Antegrade Percutaneous Snare Retrieval and Literature Review.Reports (MDPI) · 2025Article
- Clinical analysis of ultrasound-guided "tract without bleeding vessel requiring embolization (TBVE)" in reducing bleeding during percutaneous nephrolithotomy.BMC urology · 2025Article
- Comparison of two different tract dilatation techniques in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: Amplatz versus balloon.Urolithiasis · 2025Article
- Article
- What is the safe and effective dilator number during access in PCNL? Three-shot dilation versus classical sequential Amplatz dilation.BMC urology · 2023Article
- Endoscopic dilation using two guidewires: a novel approach for establishing access tract during percutaneous nephrolithotomy under ultrasonographic guidance.The Journal of international medical research · 2023Article
- The relative performance of balloon dilatators and metallic telescopic dilatators for the establishment of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy tracts: a single-center, retrospective study.Therapeutic advances in urologyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo compare the safety and efficacy of balloon and Amplatz for tract dilation in fluoroscopically guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
methodEMBASE, PUBMED, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for pertinent studies up until 30 October 2019. Pooled effects were calculated as ORs with 95% CIs or mean differences (MD) with 95% CIs. Endpoints included postoperative decrease in haemoglobin, transfusion rate, complication rate, successful dilation rate, stone-free rate, fluoroscopy time, access time, total operation time and length of postoperative hospitalisation (LPH). Bonferroni's correction was intercalated to reduce the likelihood of making a meta-analytical false positive.
resultsOne randomised controlled trial and five controlled clinical trials were included, which involved 1317 patients in total. We found a lower drop in postoperative haemoglobin for patients receiving balloon dilation compared with those in the Amplatz group (MD=-0.21, 95% CI -0.33 to 0.09, p=0.0005; Bonferroni correction a=0.005). Access time in the balloon group was also, on average, 2.61 min shorter than the Amplatz group (MD=-2.61, 95% CI -4.20 to 1.01, p=0.001; Bonferroni correction a=0.005). No significant differences were identified between the two dilation methods in terms of transfusion rate, complication rate, successful dilation rate, stone-free rate, fluoroscopy time, total operation time and LPH.
conclusionBalloon dilation is a safe and effective tract dilation technique for access creation during fluoroscopically guided PCNL. Both of methods have similar success rates although balloon dilation is associated with significantly less postoperative haemoglobin decline and shorter access time. Therefore, balloon dilation appears to be the superior tract dilation technique, but further confirmatory research is required to confirm these findings.
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