Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) was first described in 1976 as an operative technique for removing kidney stones through a percutaneous nephrostomy tract that involves an incision into the skin and kidney. Since its introduction, there have been many technological improvements (such as Miniperc and Microperc) over the last few decades that have led to Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) becoming one of the cornerstone treatments for large (> 2cm) or staghorn kidney stones.
