Urinary reconstruction after kidney transplantation: pyeloureterostomy or ureteroneocystostomy

Ureteroneocystostomy (UCN) is the most widely used urinary reconstruction technique during kidney transplantation. Disadvantages of this technique include a high incidence of hematuria and reflux, plus the potential for obstruction resulting from distal ureteral fibrosis. Pyeloureterostomy (PU) avoids these complications but increases the technical complexity.

Between January 1990 and December 2005, 1066 adults patients underwent kidney transplantations; 768 patients (72.1%) had urinary reconstruction by PU and 298 (27.9%) underwent UNC.

Patients in the PU group underwent simultaneous ipsilateral native nephrectomy. The operative time was longer in the PU group compared with the UNC group: 210 ± 36 min versus 182 ± 24 min (P < 0.001). Overall surgical complications in the PU group were comparable to those in the UNC group (9.5% versus 12.3%). The urinary complication rate was also comparable in both groups: 3.2% (25 of 768) in the PU group and 5% (15 of 298) in the UNC group. However, urinary obstruction comprised 60% of urinary complications in the UNC group, compared with 32% in the PU group (P < 0.01). We treated most urinary complications non-operatively. However, 24% of patients (six of 25) in the PU group needed operative intervention or revision for ureteral reconstruction, compared with 46.6% (seven of 15) in the UNC group (P < 0.01).

Pyeloureterostomy is a safe and effective method for urinary tract reconstruction in renal transplantation. Pyeloureterostomy should be part of every transplant surgeon's armamentarium.