War injuries of the ureter

During the 18 months of war in Croatia, from 1991 until 1992, 4,425 wounded patients were treated at Clinical Hospital Osijek. Urogenital injuries were present in 115 treated patients (2.6%), and among them ureteral injuries were present in 11 patients (9.5%). The ureteral injuries were discovered by chance during exploratory abdominal surgery performed for other accompanying injuries. Ureteroureteral anastomosis was done in three cases. In three cases ureterocystoneostomy was performed. Exploration only was performed in three cases and nephrectomy was performed in two cases. It is important to emphasize that in three cases with contusions of the ureter wall that were not surgically reconstructed, the final result was ureteral stenosis. Moreover, in one case the final result was complete obliteration of the ureteral lumen.