Lower urinary tract fistula: the minimally invasive approach

A variety of fistulas occur involving the lower urinary tract with adjacent organs namely the vagina, uterus, rectum and colon. Most of these arise out of surgical complications and contribute significantly to the morbidity of the procedures. Surgical reconstruction remains the mainstay in the management. This article reviews the use of minimal-access procedures in reconstruction of lower urinary tract fistulas focusing on the bladder.

Recently, numerous reports of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgical repair of these fistulas have shown that these techniques can be used with efficacy and safety with added advantages of short hospital stay, reduced morbidity associated with surgical incision and lower blood loss. Robot-assisted surgery has the advantage of facilitating intracorporeal suturing, making laparoscopic reconstruction easier. However, the steep learning curve and the high cost of robotic surgery are limiting factors.

Prevention of lower urinary tract fistula requires improvement in the quality and technique of surgery and minimizing surgical errors. Minimal access procedures offer surgical treatment with low morbidity but with higher cost. Open surgical repair is being used widely for treating these fistulas at this time, worldwide.