Etymed
nephrostomy
Definition
A surgical procedure creating an artificial opening into the kidney for drainage of urine
Clinical context
A 65-year-old man with severe hydronephrosis due to kidney stone obstruction requires urgent drainage. The urologist performs a percutaneous nephrostomy, inserting a catheter directly into the renal pelvis to relieve the obstruction and allow urine to bypass the blockage. The patient's creatinine begins to normalize within 24 hours of drainage.
Mnemonic
NEPHROstomy = NEPHRONS + STOMY (artificial opening) for urine drainage