Transmesenteric robot-assisted pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction in horseshoe kidney

Robotic pyeloplasty in a horseshoe kidney: A case report

Objective:

To deliver a case report showing that robotic pyeloplasty in a patient with a horseshoe kidney is not only successful but also potentially superior to laparoscopic surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Method:

PubMed was used to do a literature search. We have excluded papers that were written in foreign languages, or were paediatric case studies.

Results:

Horseshoe kidneys are the commonest congenital abnormality of the renal and are often associated with pelvic-ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) – in the order of 30%. Minimally invasive surgery is the gold standard for management of PUJO. With the advancement of the Da Vinci robot, this case report presents a patient undergoing pyeloplasty in a horseshoe kidney with PUJO on the left side, using a robotic technique. We performed a robotic pyeloplasty on a 32-year-old woman, with a horseshoe kidney. We felt this is a case worth discussion, giving the alteration in the surgical technique in conjunction with the anatomical abnormalities, and the lack of similar reported cases in the literature. We propose that in some cases, the robotic operative technique is superior to standard laparoscopic technique. Although there is an increased cost when using the Da Vinci robot, this may be offset by the 3D visualisation, enhanced dexterity, tremor filtering and movement scaling, increased range of motion, as well as the reduction of operative time, hospital stay, blood loss, complications, and indeed patient satisfaction. In addition to the benefits of robotic surgery itself, we demonstrate that robotic surgery in this particular case was preferable to other techniques, given the anatomical exclusivity of a horseshoe kidney.

Conclusion:

We propose that in some cases, the robotic operative technique is superior to other minimal access techniques in urological surgery. Level of Evidence: 4

The robot-assisted ureteral reconstruction in adult: A narrative review on the surgical techniques and contemporary outcomes

Despite the rapid increase in the use of robotic surgery in urology, the majority of ureteric reconstruction procedures are still performed using laparoscopic or open approaches. This is primarily due to uncertainty regarding the advantages of robotic approaches over conventional ones, and the unique difficulty in identifying the specific area of interest due to the lack of tactile feedback from the current robotic systems. However, with the potential benefits of minimal invasiveness, several pioneering reports have been published on robotic surgery in urology. By reviewing the literature on this topic, we aimed to summarize the techniques, considerations, and consistent findings regarding robotic ureteral reconstruction in adults. Robotic applications for ureteral surgery have been primarily reported for pediatric urology, especially in the context of relieving a congenital obstruction in the ureteral pelvic junction. However, contemporary studies have also consistently demonstrated that robotic surgery could be a reliable option for malignant, iatrogenic, and traumatic conditions, which generally occur in adult patients. Nevertheless, the lack of comparative studies on heterogeneous hosts and disease conditions make it difficult to determine the benefit of the robotic approach over the conventional approach in the general population; thus, qualified prospective trials are needed for wider acceptance. However, contemporary reports have demonstrated that the robotic approach could be an alternative option for ureteral construction, even in the absence of haptic feedback, which can be compensated by various surgical techniques and enhanced three-dimensional visualization.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) in children with horseshoe kidneys: results of a multicentric study

PURPOSE

This multicentric study aimed to report our experience with robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) in children with horseshoe kidney (HSK).

METHODS

The records of 14 patients (11 boys and 3 girls with an average age of 9 years), who underwent RALP for repair of pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) in HSK in five international pediatric urology units over a 5-year period, were retrospectively reviewed. A dismembered pyeloplasty with no division of isthmus was performed in all the cases.

RESULTS

The average operative time including docking was 143.5 min (range 100-205). No conversions to laparoscopy or open surgery or intra-operative complications occurred. Patients were discharged on postoperative day 2 following catheter and drain removal. The JJ stent was removed at mean 33 days postoperatively. Overall success rate was 92.8%. As for postoperative complications, we recorded a urinary tract infection (UTI) and stent-related irritative symptoms, managed with medical therapy, in two patients (II Clavien) and an anastomotic stricture in one patient needing surgical revision with no further recurrence (IIIb Clavien). At follow-up, all the patients (one after redo-surgery) reported complete resolution of symptoms, improvement of hydronephrosis on ultrasound and no residual obstruction on diuretic renogram.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experience suggested that RALP in HSK is safe, feasible and with good medium-term outcomes in expert hands. An accurate pre-operative planning associated with a standardized technique is key points to achieve good surgical and functional outcomes in these challenging cases. The da Vinci robot technology offers the advantages of MIS procedures and overcomes the technical challenges of laparoscopic approach.