A 32-year-old man was investigated for repeated episodes of right-sided flank pain. Ultrasonography showed a dilated right pelvicalyceal system and upper ureter as well as multiple gallstones; subsequent intravenous urogram demonstrated a retrocaval ureter. At surgery, a right-sided double-J ureteric stent was placed under fluoroscopic guidance. Initially, three laparoscopic ports were used. The dilated pelvis and upper ureter were mobilized, followed by the lower ureter. The pelvis was transected and transposed anterior to the inferior vena cava. Reconstruction was carried out with an intracorporeally sutured anastomosis over the double-J stent. A fourth port was added for completion of cholecystectomy. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged on the third day. Fourteen months later he remains well, with a recent intravenous urogram showing regression of hydronephrosis. We review the previously reported cases of laparoscopic and retroperitoneoscopic reconstruction of retrocaval ureter to compare and contrast these minimal access approaches.
A 16-year-old boy presented with flank pain and was found to have right-sided hydronephrosis and hydroureter on ultrasonography and an intravenous urogram. A retrograde pyelogram revealed a tight, short-segment, non-negotiable stricture in the midureter. A CT scan excluded extrinsic compression. In the absence of any other pathology, the stricture was considered to be congenital. The diseased segment of the ureter was resected laparoscopically, and an intracorporeally sutured ureteroureterostomy was fashioned over a double- J stent. The patient made an uneventful recovery and was well at follow-up 18 months later. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of laparoscopic resection of a congenital midureteral stricture.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.