[The role of electropyelo- and electroureterography in assessing operations on the upper urinary tract]

Biopotential recording is currently used in patients with urologic diseases to determine the status of the upper urinary tract, to assess the electric activity of detrusor urinae, as additional objective indications while choosing an organ-preserving or organ-removing surgery, to check the effects of direct electric stimulation, to elucidate the magnitude of lesion and its extension. Electropyelo- and electroureterographies were performed by the routine procedures by employing foreign and Soviet-made devices in 76 patients with various urologic diseases resulting in upper urinary contractility: hydronephrosis, neuromuscular dysplasia, vesicoureteral reflux, as well as with other diseases. Electroureterography of the ureteropelvic segment will help choose a correct tactics of surgical therapy for patients with hydronephrosis; in case of markedly lower electric activity, the terms of nephrostoma removal after ureteropelvic plastic operation may be increased up to 2 months, as evidenced both by electropyelographic and clinical findings. Electropyelography was found to contribute to definition of indications for electrostimulation of the renal pelvis when its tension was decreased in patients with urolithiasis, which enabled the nephrostomic drain to be healed subsequently, as well as to assessment of electric stimulation used in postoperative reflux, as confirmed by electroureterographic findings. The findings led to the conclusion that it was advisable to use electropyelo- and electroureterography to choose a method of surgical treatment, electrostimulation and as criteria for recovered urinary contractility.