Lingual Mucosal Graft Ureteroplasty for Long Proximal Ureteral Stricture: 6 Years of Experience with 41 Cases

The Whitaker test: a predictive tool for evaluating the surgical efficacy of upper urinary tract reconstruction in patients carrying a nephrostomy tube after surgery

PURPOSE

To explore the role of the Whitaker test in evaluating the postoperative outcome of upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery in patients carrying a nephrostomy tube after surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a prospective observational study performed in 42 patients with nephrostomy tube undergoing the Whitaker test after upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery between January 2020 and December 2021. Data on clinical information, the Whitaker test and surgical procedure were collected prospectively, and the long-term follow-up results were analysed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The 46 ureters of 42 patients (right 16, left 22, bilateral 4) underwent six common upper urinary tract surgical reconstruction procedures and one combined procedure, including pyeloplasty, ureteroureterostomy, lingual mucosal onlay graft, appendiceal onlay flap, ureteral reimplantation, Boari flap, and ipsilateral lingual mucosal onlay graft combined ureteral reimplantation. All patients underwent the Whitaker test successfully without any discomfort after examination. The postoperative Whitaker test showed 43 kidneys without obstruction and 3 kidneys with obstruction. At a median follow-up of 18 months (range 13-31), the follow-up results showed that the overall success rate of the surgery was 100% (46/46). Concerning the concordance Whitaker test and follow-up results, the observed proportion of agreement was 93.5% (43/46).

CONCLUSION

The Whitaker test can achieve similar consistency with the long-term follow-up results after upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery and can be used as a tool to evaluate the surgical efficacy of upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery, which can provide a prognostic efficacy evaluation for patients carrying a nephrostomy tube after surgery.

Ureteroplasty with buccal mucosa graft without omental wrap: an effective method to treat ureteral strictures

PURPOSE

Successful treatment options for ureteral strictures are limited. Surgical options such as ileal interposition and kidney autotransplantation are difficult and associated with morbidity and complications. Techniques such as Boari flap and psoas hitch are limited to distal strictures. Only limited case studies on the success of open buccal mucosa graft (BMG) ureteroplasty exist to this date. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success of open BMG ureteroplasty without omental wrap.

METHODS

In this single-center retrospective study between July 2020 and January 2023, we included 14 consecutive patients with ureteric strictures who were treated with open BMG ureteroplasty without omental wrap. The primary outcome was the success of open BMG ureteroplasty. Further endpoints were complications and hospital readmission. Outcome variables were assessed by clinical examination, kidney sonography, and patient anamnesis.

RESULTS

Out of 14 patients, 13 were stricture and ectasia-free without a double-J stent at a median follow-up of 15 months (success rate 93%). No complications were observed at the donor site, and the complication rate overall was low with 3 out of 14 patients (21%) having mild-to-medium complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Open BMG ureteroplasty without omental wrap is a successful and feasible technique for ureteric stricture repair.

Robot-Assisted Ureteroplasty with Labial Mucosal Onlay Grafting for Long Left-Sided Proximal Ureteral Stenosis in Children and Adolescents: Technical Tips and Functional Outcomes

Purpose: To evaluate functional outcomes of robot-assisted ureteroplasty with labial mucosa grafting for long proximal ureteral stenosis (LPUS) in children and adolescents. Methods: Included in this study were 15 patients who underwent robot-assisted ureteroplasty with labial mucosal grafting in our center between July 2017 and September 2021. The left affected stenotic ureter was repaired using labial mucosal grafting. If the ureter was simply strictured but not obliterated, the ureter was spatulated longitudinally along the ventral side and the labial mucosa graft was interposed and anastomosed in a continuous manner. Faced with the obliterated segment, it was excised and the spatulated portion re-anastomosed with a pelvic flap as the dorsal wall. The labial mucosa graft was placed as the ventral wall. The preoperative clinical data and follow-up outcomes were collected and evaluated. Results: Labial mucosa graft onlay ureteroplasty was well performed in all the 15 patients with no occurrence of intraoperative complications or surgical conversion. Five patients underwent an onlay ureteroplasty, and 10 patients underwent a dorsally augmented pelvic flap anastomotic ureteroplasty. The mean (range) stricture length was 7.1 (3-10) cm. The mean operative time was 371.2 (216-480) minutes, and the median blood loss was 40 mL. At the median follow-up of 35 months (range 12-58 months), the overall success rate was 93.3%. Conclusions: Labial mucosa grafting appears to be safe and feasible for repairing long ureteral strictures in pediatric and adolescent patients. Our experience may provide beneficial references and conveniences to solve complex problems in LPUS. This study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from each participant (ethics number: 2017-30).

Metal ureteral stents for ureteral stricture: 2 years of experience with 246 cases

BACKGROUND

Metal ureteral stents (MUS) has gained popularity as an endoscopic treatment alternative for the management of ureteral strictures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of MUS for treating ureteral strictures and to identify any factors that could influence the success of this intervention.

METHODS

This study is a prospective analysis of the efficacy and safety of MUS for treating ureteral strictures in a single-center setting. The study enrolled 246 patients who had been diagnosed with ureteral strictures and had undergone MUS placement between January 2019 and July 2021. The patients were followed-up for a duration of 2 years.

RESULTS

The overall success rate of MUS placement was 71.7%. Furthermore, the success rate of ureteral strictures after kidney transplantation (78.2%) was significantly higher than common ureteral strictures (73.0%) or recurrent ureteral strictures (67.6%). Additionally, postsurgery, there was a considerable reduction in hydronephrosis volume (68.9±96.1 vs. 32.1±48.8 cm 3 ), blood creatinine level (103.7±49.8 vs. 94.4±47.5 mol/l) and urea nitrogen level (6.7±7.2 vs. 5.1±2.4 mmol/l). The study also reported that the rate of adverse events associated with MUS was relatively low, included hematuria (7.9%), pain (6.8%), urinary tract infection (6.4%), and lower urinary tract symptoms (5.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

MUS appear to be a safe and effective treatment option for ureteral strictures, with a high success rate and low complication rate. These results have important implications for the management of ureteral strictures and can help guide clinical decision-making in the selection of treatment options.

Robotic-assisted double lingual mucosal graft ureteroplasty for multifocal ureteral strictures: Case report and technical description

BACKGROUND

Ureteroplasty with a single onlay graft for proximal ureter stricture has been widely used in the clinic. However, robotic ureteroplasty with a double lingual mucosal graft (RU-DLMG) has not been reported.

METHODS

The intraoperative measured ureteral stricture lengths of patient 1 were 1.8, 2.5, and 4.6 cm, and those of patient 2 were 2.5 and 3.5 cm. We performed a RU-DLMG in which the diseased ureter was incised longitudinally from the ventral side and repaired with a double lingual mucosal graft to widen the ureteral lumen. Because of the presence of a distal ureter stricture, RU-DLMG combined with ureteral reimplantation was performed in patient 1.

RESULTS

Antegrade urography showed no obstruction of the reconstructed ureteral segment after removing the ureteral stent. The patients had no complaints about the donor site and flank pain during the 12-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

RU-DLMG appears to be a suitable option for multifocal ureteral strictures.

Four-dimensional hydrogel dressing adaptable to the urethral microenvironment for scarless urethral reconstruction

The harsh urethral microenvironment (UME) after trauma severely hinders the current hydrogel-based urethral repair. In fact, four-dimensional (4D) consideration to mimic time-dependent physiological processes is essential for scarless urethral reconstruction, which requires balancing extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and remodeling at different healing stages. In this study, we develop a UME-adaptable 4D hydrogel dressing to sequentially provide an early-vascularized microenvironment and later-antifibrogenic microenvironment for scarless urethral reconstruction. With the combination of dynamic boronic ester crosslinking and covalent photopolymerization, the resultant gelatin methacryloyl phenylboronic acid/cis-diol-crosslinked (GMPD) hydrogels exhibit mussel-mimetic viscoelasticity, satisfactory adhesion, and acid-reinforced stability, which can adapt to harsh UME. In addition, a temporally on-demand regulatory (TOR) technical platform is introduced into GMPD hydrogels to create a time-dependent 4D microenvironment. As a result, physiological urethral recovery is successfully mimicked by means of an early-vascularized microenvironment to promote wound healing by activating the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway, as well as a later-antifibrogenic microenvironment to prevent hypertrophic scar formation by timing transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling pathway inhibition. Both in vitro molecular mechanisms of the physiological healing process and in vivo scarless urethral reconstruction in a rabbit model are effectively verified, providing a promising alternative for urethral injury treatment.

Oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty versus ileal ureteric replacement: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To describe outcomes of oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty (OMGU) and ileal ureter replacement (IUR) and determine the relative merits of both procedures.

METHODS

Databases (including PubMed, Embase and Cochrane) were interrogated for eligible trials that assessed outcomes of OMGU or IUR from 2000 to 30 July 2022. The variables analysed were reconstruction success rates, stricture length, hospital stays, perioperative complications and long-term complications.

RESULTS

A total of 23 single-arm studies were included. The pooled reconstruction success rates for OMGU and IUR were 94.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.0%-97.7%) and 85.8% (95% CI 81.0%-90.0%), respectively. Stricture length of patients in the OMGU and IUR groups were 3.73 (95% CI 3.17-4.28) and 11.55 (95% CI 9.82-13.29) cm, respectively. The maximal stricture length repaired by OMGU was 8 cm. The hospital stays were 5.85 (95% CI 3.88-7.82) and 11.55 (95% CI 6.93-16.17) days in the OMGU and IUR groups, respectively. The incidences of low-grade postoperative complications were 13.6% (95% CI 6.9%-20.3%) and 27.3% (95% CI 19.5%-35.1%), high-grade postoperative complications were 4.6% (95% CI 1.8I-8.5%) and 13.0% (95% CI 9.4%-17.1%), and long-term complications (occurred at > 3months) were 9.0% (95% CI 1.7%-20.0%) and 35.4% (95% CI 25.8%-45.6%) in the OMGU and IUR groups, respectively.

CONCLUSION

An OMGU is an effective, minimally invasive, and safe alternative to IUR for the management of long ureteric strictures. OMGU was the preferred treatment for long ureteric strictures, especially obstructed ureter segments of ≤8 cm.

Laparoscopic redo pyeloplasty with a buccal mucosal graft

Introduction

Redo pyeloplasty can be difficult due to scar tissue or fibrosis. Ureteral reconstruction with a buccal mucosal graft is performed safely and successfully, but most reports of ureteral reconstruction using a buccal mucosal graft are of robot-assisted surgery, with few reports of laparoscopic-assisted surgery. A case of laparoscopic-assisted redo pyeloplasty using a buccal mucosal graft is presented.

Case presentation

A 53-year-old woman was diagnosed with ureteropelvic junction obstruction, and a double-J stent was placed to relieve backache. She visited our hospital 6 months after double-J stent placement. Three months later, laparoscopic pyeloplasty was performed. At 2 months postoperatively, anatomic stenosis occurred. Holmium laser endoureterotomy and balloon dilation were performed; however, the anatomic stenosis recurred, and laparoscopic redo pyeloplasty with a buccal mucosal graft was performed. After redo pyeloplasty, obstruction was improved, and her symptoms disappeared.

Conclusion

This is the first case of using a buccal mucosal graft for laparoscopic pyeloplasty in Japan.

Robotic versus laparoscopic ureteroplasty with a lingual mucosa graft for complex ureteral stricture

PURPOSE

Ureteroplasty with a lingual mucosa graft (LMG) for complex ureteral stricture was reported promising. We aimed to compare outcomes of robotic versus laparoscopic ureteroplasty using a LMG (RU-LMG vs. LU-LMG, respectively).

METHODS

From October 2018 to January 2021, 32 ureteroplasties using LMGs were performed by one experienced surgeon, including 16 robotic and laparoscopic procedures each. Patient demographics and peri-operative, post-operative, and follow-up data were prospectively collected and compared.

RESULTS

The robotic group had a higher rate of previous reconstruction than the laparoscopic group (62.50% vs. 18.75%; p = 0.012). The stricture length was significantly longer in the robotic group (4.8 ± 1.2 cm) than the laparoscopic group (3.7 ± 1.2 cm; p = 0.013). All procedures were completed successfully without open conversion. The operative time was shorter in the robotic group (192 ± 54 min) than the laparoscopic group (254 ± 46 min; p = 0.001). The robotic group had a shorter length of post-operative stay (6.1 ± 2.4 d vs. 8.9 ± 4.3 d; p = 0.033) but a higher hospital cost (76,801 ± 17,974 vs. 42,214 ± 15,757 RMB; p < 0.001) than the laparoscopic group. The mean follow-up time was 21 ± 7 months for the robotic group and 29 ± 9 months for the laparoscopic group respectively (p = 0.014). No difference was detected in the success rate (93.75% and 100%, respectively; p = 0.309) and complication rate (18.75% and 31.25%, respectively; p = 0.414) between the robotic and laparoscopic groups.

CONCLUSION

Both RU-LMG and LU-LMG are feasible, effective, and safe for repair of complex ureteral strictures. RU-LMG had a shorter operative time and a shorter length of post-operative stay but a higher hospital cost.

Dorsal oral mucosa graft urethroplasty for female urethral stricture reconstruction: A narrative review

Female urethral stricture is currently a challenging situation. In general, urethra dilatation can be selected for treatment, but the complications and high recurrence rate urge doctors to consider other treatments. Recently, dorsal oral mucosa graft urethroplasty is concerned by more and more surgeons, but there are not enough reports so far. A comprehensive search of dorsal oral mucosa graft urethroplasty was performed. According to the existing literature, there are applications of buccal mucosa and lingual mucosa, and compared with other kinds of grafts, the success rate is higher. However, there is a lack of multicenter, large sample and long follow-up studies. And there is still no enough comparative study between different types of oral mucosa. In summary, dorsal oral mucosa graft urethroplasty is an effective option for the management of female urethral stricture. More multicenter and large sample studies with long-term follow-up data are needed.