Endoscopic placement of coaxial balloon dilating catheter to facilitate open ureteral surgery

After urinary diversion, access to the distal ureter for either resection or repair, especially in patients with history of infection, extravasation, radiation, or other abdominal surgery, can be hazardous. We report two cases where the endoscopic placement of a coaxial balloon dilating catheter prior to open exploration greatly facilitated ureteral identification and localization in a difficult surgical field.