Etymed
nephrolithotomy
Definition
surgical procedure to remove kidney stones by making an incision in the kidney
Clinical context
A 45-year-old male presents to the emergency department with severe left flank pain and hematuria that radiates to his groin. Imaging reveals a 1.2 cm stone in the left renal pelvis. After failed medical expulsive therapy, the patient undergoes nephrolithotomy to remove the impacted stone. Post-operatively, he experiences significant pain relief and his urine output returns to normal.
Mnemonic
NEPHROlithectomy = Nephro (kidney) + litho (stone) + tomy (incision) = Kidney stone removal by kidney incision