Ureterocystoplasty in pediatric patients with unilateral nonfunctioning kidney

Bladder augmentation with uroepithelium lined material yields an absence of mucus production, with reduced possibility of urinary infection and lithiasis. The utilization of the ureter in augmentation cystoplasty results in a uroepithelium-lined neobladder with all of the appropriate histologic layers. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of ureterocystoplasty in children with a small bladder capacity and low bladder compliance.

Between January 1992 and August 2011, six females and eight males who were 3 to 13 years old (median age 6 years) and had a low-capacity, poorly compliant bladder underwent augmentation cystoplasty using dilated ureters. Unilateral non-functioning renal moiety draining into a massively dilated ureter was present in every patient. The etiology of hydroureteronephrosis was a neurogenic bladder secondary to meningomyelocele in five patients, a posterior urethral valve in four patients, an obstructive megaureter in three patients and ectopic obstructive ureterocele in two patients.

Mean age was 6 years (3-13 y). Clinical improvement regarding the resolution of reflux, a better bladder capacity and improved compliance was achieved in every patient. The increase in bladder capacity ranged from 84 cc (30 to 200) to 235 cc (150 to 420), with a mean increase of 318% (210 to 500). Marked improvement in compliance was also observed (from 1.2 to 5.1 mL/cm H2O, mean 2.4, to 22 to 50 mL/cm H2O, mean 41). No uninhibited bladder contractions were detected during a urodynamic study at 12 months postoperatively.

In patients with a low-capacity, poorly compliant bladder, augmentation cystoplasty using the ureter seems to be a viable alternative. Ureterocystoplasty results in a large-capacity, high-compliance bladder, without metabolic and infective complications, compared with other techniques of augmentation cystoplasty.