Definition: The insertion of a catheter through the skin and body wall into the kidney pelvis, mainly to provide urine drainage where the ureter is not functional. It is used also to remove or dissolve renal calculi and to diagnose ureteral obstruction.
do not use /util except by MeSH definition; X ref NEPHROLITHOTOMY, PERCUTANEOUS is not a substitute for LITHOTRIPSY: coord NEPHROSTOMY, PERCUTANEOUS + LITHOTRIPSY for lithotripsy of urinary calculi by percutaneous nephrolithotomy
