[The role of foetal surgery in urology (author's transl)]

The authors report a brief experimental study showing that cystostomy performed in utero perfectly prevents, at least in the animal, deterioration of the urinary tract after urethral ligation. In the light of this experimental finding, the authors raised the question as to whether there is not a place for such bypass urinary surgery in utero in the humans. Indications would be highly obstructive forms of valves of the posterior urethra, treated in utero by cystostomy and, secondly, severe obstructions of the excretory system which could be temporarily bypassed by pyelostomy. This risks are described, but the possibility of such surgery is not excluded.