Objectives: To report the collective experience of three multinational institutions with the use of robotics to evaluate and treat complex distal ureteral obstruction.
Methods: A total of 12 patients from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Ziekenhuis, Aalst, Belgium; and Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic ureteral reimplantation between August 2004 and July 2006. The indications for ureteral reimplantation included ureteral stricture (n = 10) and ureterovaginal fistula (n = 2). Nine patients had pathology on the left side and 4 patients had right-sided disease. Surgery was performed by three experienced laparoscopic robotic surgeons with the daVinci Surgical System.
Results: The mean patient age (range) was 41.3 years (19 to 67 years). The mean operative time was 208 minutes (80 to 360 minutes). The mean robot time was 173 minutes (75 to 300 minutes). The mean estimated blood loss was 48 mL (45 to 100 minutes). The mean length of hospitalization was 4.3 days (2 to 8 days). All the procedures were completed successfully robotically without open conversion. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Postoperative intravenous urography and Mercapto Acetyl TriGlycine 3 showed normal findings in 10 patients and a mild residual hydronephrosis in 2 patients. After a mean follow-up of 15.5 months, all patients were asymptomatic of their initial disease state.
Conclusions: This multi-institutional, multinational experience illustrates that ureteral reimplantation with psoas hitch can be performed safely and effectively to treat lower tract ureteral obstruction.