{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,18]],"date-time":"2026-10-18T16:41:27Z","timestamp":1792341687664,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"S. Karger AG","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]],"date-time":"2026-10-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792195200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/pages\/terms-and-conditions"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]],"date-time":"2026-10-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792195200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/pages\/terms-and-conditions"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Urol Int"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background Vacuum-assisted mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) improves stone fragment evacuation and surgical efficiency. However, comparative evidence remains limited and susceptible to selection bias. We compared perioperative outcomes of standard and vacuum-assisted mini-PCNL using propensity score overlap weighting. Methods This retrospective study included 80 patients undergoing mini-PCNL between January 2022 and December 2025. Forty patients underwent standard mini-PCNL and 40 underwent vacuum-assisted mini-PCNL. Propensity score overlap weighting was performed using demographic and stone-related characteristics, including age, sex, ASA score, comorbidity status, stone size, stone multiplicity, and Guy's Stone Score. Stone-free status was assessed on postoperative non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) with 3-mm slice thickness and classified as Grade A (no residual fragments), Grade B (residual fragments \u22642 mm), and Grade C (residual fragments 2.1\u20134 mm). Perioperative outcomes were compared using weighted regression models. Results After overlap weighting, excellent covariate balance was achieved across baseline variables. Vacuum-assisted mini-PCNL was associated with shorter operative time (53.8 \u00b1 10.9 vs. 74.1 \u00b1 3.8 min, p&lt;0.001), shorter laser fragmentation time (p&lt;0.001), shorter stone extraction time (p&lt;0.001), lower postoperative hemoglobin decrease (p=0.041), reduced estimated blood loss (p=0.043), and shorter hospital stay (p=0.023). Needle puncture and fluoroscopy times were comparable between groups (p=0.540 and p=0.844, respectively). Grade A stone-free status was achieved in 32\/40 (80.0%) patients in the vacuum-assisted group and 27\/40 (67.5%) in the standard group, whereas Grade B status was observed in 3\/40 (7.5%) and 2\/40 (5.0%), respectively, and Grade C status in one patient (2.5%) in each group. Although Grade A stone-free status and postoperative complication rates favored the vacuum-assisted group, these differences were not statistically significant. Regression analysis confirmed an independent reduction in operative time (\u03b2 = \u221220.28, 95% CI \u221224.60 to \u221215.96; p&lt;0.001) and postoperative hemoglobin decrease (\u03b2 = 2.39, 95% CI 0.10\u20134.67; p=0.041). Conclusions After propensity score overlap weighting, vacuum-assisted mini-PCNL demonstrated superior operative efficiency and reduced perioperative morbidity compared with standard mini-PCNL. NCCT-based stone-free assessment demonstrated a higher Grade A stone-free rate in the vacuum-assisted group, although this difference was not statistically significant. Larger prospective multicenter studies are warranted to validate these findings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1159\/uin\/aewag044","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,18]],"date-time":"2026-10-18T16:01:42Z","timestamp":1792339302000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Perioperative Outcomes of Vacuum-Assisted Versus Standard Mini-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Propensity Score Overlap Weighting Analysis"],"prefix":"10.1159","author":[{"given":"Cemil","family":"Bayraktar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salim","family":"Tozan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7770-8013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yavuz","family":"G\u00fcler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"127","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]]},"container-title":["Urologia Internationalis"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1159\/uin\/aewag044","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,18]],"date-time":"2026-10-18T16:01:43Z","timestamp":1792339303000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article\/doi\/10.1159\/uin\/aewag044"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1159\/uin\/aewag044","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0042-1138","1423-0399"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0042-1138","type":"print"},{"value":"1423-0399","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]]}}}