Pediatric robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty: Does age matter?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Urology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) is a safe procedure for infants with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO).
• RALP is typically performed on older children and adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the contemporary RALP experience at a single pediatric tertiary center.
• To compare outcomes in infants (≤1 year) versus older children undergoing RALP for UPJO.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 138 patients who underwent RALP between 2012 and 2016.
• Patients were grouped by age: infants (≤1 year) and older children.
• Primary outcome was success rate; secondary outcomes included complications and hospital stay.

Main Results:

• Overall RALP success rate was 96%.
• Infants (≤1 year) required less morphine and had more percutaneous stents.
• No significant differences in complication rates, failure rates, or hospital stay between infant and older cohorts.

Conclusions:

• RALP demonstrates comparable safety and efficacy in infants and older children for UPJO.
• The findings support the expanding use of robotic surgery across pediatric age groups.
• This study represents one of the largest contemporary pediatric RALP series.