Open Access

RESIDENT’S CORNER

McMaster experience with laparoscopic pyeloplasty

Abdullatif Hussain, Paul Whelan, Kevin Piercey, Anil Kapoor

Department of Surgery (Urology), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Address correspondence to Paul Whelan, MD, FRCSC, Department of Surgery (Urology), McMaster University, Medical Arts Building, 1 Young Street, Suite 419, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 1T8 Canada

Canadian Journal of Urology 2004, 11(3), 2299-2302.

Abstract

Purpose: Laparoscopic pyeloplasty has been developed as a minimally invasive alternative to open pyeloplasty for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). Several series have been published with similar success rates for the two procedures. We present our initial experience with laparoscopic pyeloplasty.
Material and methods: A retrospective review of 29 consecutive patients (mean age 37 years) who underwent laparoscopic dismembered Hynes-Anderson pyeloplasty in our institution between January 2001 to April 2003 was performed. All patients had flank pain with radiologic findings consistent with ureteropelvic junction obstruction and impaired drainage on diuretic renal scan. Patients were assessed at 6 weeks with an ultrasound and assessment of pain, then an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) and diuretic renogram were completed at 6 months along with a repeat clinical assessment.
Results: Twenty-nine patients underwent the procedure with one patient converted to an open procedure due to difficulties with the anastomosis. Mean operating time was 225 minutes, which decreased with experience. Mean blood loss was 50 cc and no patient required transfusion. Mean hospital stay was 2.5 days. Mean follow-up was 12 months. Twenty-six patients had complete resolution of their pain and an improvement on ultrasound was demonstrated, but only six patients showed improvement in function on IVP or renogram at 6 months. In five patients with 25% or less differential renal function preoperatively, the function was worse or negligible despite complete resolution of symptoms. One patient developed stent migration requiring repositioning and another developed calcification on the distal end of the stent requiring cystolithalopaxy prior to stent removal.
Conclusions: In our experience, laparoscopic pyeloplasty offers excellent symptomatic relief in a minimally invasive fashion with low morbidity for adult patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. In patients with borderline function (25% or less) preoperatively and with a normal functioning contralateral kidney, nephrectomy should be a consideration.

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