Renal transplantation in patients with urinary tract abnormalities

Patients with chronic renal failure and total diversion of the lower urinary tract have been considered poor transplant candidates, and post-transplant urinary diversion, i.e., Bricker loop, has been thought to be necessary. Our experience with nine patients clearly indicates that these patients are actually excellent transplant candidates and that post-transplant urinary diversion rarely is necessary. Ureteroneocystostomy of the allografted ureter was performed in seven patients with pretransplant total urinary diversion and all have completely normal bladder and renal function 10 to 66 months after transplantation; the two patients with Bricker loop procedures performed at transplantation died 7 months after transplantation of rejection and pancreatitis. The excellent results achieved with ureteroneocystostomy are attributed to (1) errors in diagnosis resulting in inappropriate bladder or ureteric surgery early in the course of the patient's disease; (2) confusion of immunologic of functional disorders with anatomic problems; (3) growth and development of the bladder, and (4) complete control of chronic bladder infection by pretransplant nephrectomy, ureterectomy, and antibiotics.