Ureteral reimplantation in infancy: evaluation of long-term voiding function

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Urology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Voiding Dysfunction

Background:

• The long-term voiding function outcomes after early ureteral reimplantation in infants are not well-established.
• Early surgical intervention for conditions like vesicoureteral reflux is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term voiding function in children who underwent ureteral reimplantation during infancy.
• To assess surgical outcomes, including success rates and complications, following early ureteral reimplantation.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 32 children who had ureteral reimplantation in their first year of life.
• Long-term evaluation included surgical outcomes, voiding function assessments (family interviews, uroflowmetry, post-void residual urine measurement), and urinary tract infection rates.
• Follow-up duration ranged from 5 to 13 years.

Main Results:

• The study analyzed data from 21 patients (14 girls, 7 boys) with a mean follow-up of 9.5 years.
• High technical success rate (94%) with low morbidity; 2 patients experienced postoperative reflux, with one requiring reoperation.
• While 13 patients had normal voiding habits, 8 reported infrequent voiding. Uroflowmetry and post-void residual urine measurements were normal in most patients, indicating preserved bladder function.

Conclusions:

• Early ureteral reimplantation in infants achieves a high technical success rate and minimal postoperative morbidity.
• Despite a common finding of infrequent voiding in long-term follow-up, noninvasive bladder function assessments revealed no significant abnormalities in the majority of patients.