[Surgical treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction]

Currently there are many therapeutic options for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). Open pyeloplasty is the gold standard with a success rate of approximately 90%. We describe our experience in the treatment of UPJO.

We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study among our patients with UPJO surgically treated at the Department of Urology of our institution from 1970 to 2002.

126 UPJO were diagnosed in 114 patients. The most common symptoms at diagnosis were: pain in 105 patients (92.1), urinary tract infection (UTI) in 37 (32.4%) and hematuria in 24 (21%). The most common associated diseases were urolithiasis in 34 cases, crossing vessels in 10 and horseshoe kidney in 5. 123 procedures were undertaken: 92 (74.8%) dismembered pyeloplasties, 13 (10.7%) Foley Y-V pyeloplasties, in 8 (6.5%) release of crossing vessel, 5 (4%) endopyelotomies, 2 (1.6%) pyeloplasties Scardino-Prince, 2 patients with renal allograft in whom an anastomosis of renal pelvis to native ureter was performed and 1 (0.8%) ureter-ileal anastomosis in a patient with retroperitoneal fibrosis. The mean follow-up time was of 33.2 months. In 114 (92.7%) patients the procedure was successful. The overall complication rate was of 17.9% of which 2.4% were stricture recurrence associated with crossing vessels.

Open dismembered pyeloplasty is the most common treatment procedure for UPJO at our institution. We report successful results, low morbidity, preservation of renal function and improving symptoms.