Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2025
Robot-Assisted Kidney Transplantation
Published on: July 19, 2021
Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty: Experience of a Single Pediatric Institution, Including Long-term and Safety
Andrew Lai1, Rachel Shannon2, Ilina Rosoklija2
1University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Urology, Chicago, IL.
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) and describe the short and long-term outcomes of pediatric RALP.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed all patients ..±21 years old who underwent primary RALP from 7/2007 through 12/2019. Patients were excluded from postoperative analysis if follow-up data after stent removal was not available. The primary outcome was surgical success, defined as radiographic improvement of hydronephrosis without need for reoperation. Secondary outcomes were time to reoperation and 90-day complication rate.
Results:
A total of 356 patients underwent primary repair of ureteropelvic junction obstruction during the study period; 29.ßpatients were limited to intraoperative data due to lack of follow-up imaging. Radiographic improvement at latest follow-up was seen in 308/327 (94.2%). Ten of 327 patients (3.1%) underwent reoperation: 7 were identified within 1 year of RALP and 3 were identified over 1 year after RALP. The median time to reoperation was 13.0 months (IQR 9.3-21.7). We defined long-term as>3 years after pyeloplasty. Over one-third (122/327, 37.3%) of the cohort had>3 years of follow-up, none of whom developed evidence of recurrent obstruction requiring reoperation beyond 3 years. Complications occurred within 90 days of surgery in 20/327 (6.1%).
Conclusion:
This largest single-institution series confirms short- and long-term surgical effectiveness and safety of RALP. Our data also indicate that most patients who needed reoperation were identified within 1 year, and reoperation more than 3 years after RALP is rare.
