A Stentless Modified Lich-Gregoir Technique for Safe Early Bladder Catheter Removal in Living and Deceased Kidney Transplants

To describe a stentless modified Lich-Gregoir technique (mLG) for ureteroneocystostomy in renal transplantation (RT), with early bladder catheter (BC) removal (under 48 hours), and compare the postoperative results with those of the traditional technique (LG) with routine bladder catheter removal (4 to 5 days). The modification consists of maintaining a thin layer of detrusor fibers covering the bladder mucosa during dissection, which is incorporated into the anastomosis to reinforce the ureteroneocystostomy.

This retrospective cohort study compared the postoperative outcomes of 100 consecutive patients who underwent mLG with early removal of BC between October 2018 to November 2019 with those of a historical cohort of 165 consecutive patients transplanted using stentless LG and routine removal of BC, who underwent surgery between July 2017 and September 2018. All transplants were performed by the same surgeon. Follow-up was 6 months.

Demographic characteristics were comparable, although patients in the mLG group had a higher mean preoperative urine volume (911 ± 753.8mL vs 629 ± 638.6mL, P =.016). Patients in the mLG group successfully underwent early BC removal (2.2 ± 0.9 vs 4.8 ± 4.8 days, P <.001), with no differences in the incidence of surgical or clinical complications, including urine leaks (1% vs 3%, P =.284). In addition, mLG patients presented a shorter mean length of hospital stay (6.5 ± 5.0 vs 7.1 ± 6.2 days, P =.023).

This stentless modified Lich-Gregoir technique enables safe early bladder catheter removal and is associated with reduced hospital length of stay.