Purpose: Upper pole heminephrectomy is the conventional treatment for severely compromised nonfunctioning renal units associated with ureteroceles due to the potential morbidity of leaving a nonfunctioning renal moiety in place. This approach often fails to address the pathological anatomical defect present at the bladder level, and during long-term followup the majority of patients require subsequent lower tract surgery due to persistent ureterocele, new or persistent vesicoureteral reflux, or recurrent infections. We determined the success of primary lower urinary tract reconstruction for nonfunctioning renal moieties and the morbidity associated with leaving nonfunctioning renal units in situ.
Materials and methods: We present the collective experience of 2 institutions using definitive lower urinary tract reconstruction without upper tract ablative surgery in 16 patients with duplex collecting systems and an associated nonfunctioning renal moiety due to obstructing ureteroceles.
Results: At a mean followup of 62 months upper tract dilatation was decreased or completely resolved in all patients, no loss of renal function was present and 15 of 16 patients (94%) had no evidence of persistent reflux. Postoperative complications in the form of a urinary tract infection occurred in 2 of 16 patients (13%). No patient was febrile. No patient had development of hypertension, proteinuria or tumor during followup.
Conclusions: We believe that primary, single stage, lower urinary tract reconstruction in children with severely compromised or nonfunctioning renal moieties damaged by ureteroceles is superior to upper urinary tract ablative surgery, successfully correcting the obstructive or refluxing pathology with minimal morbidity and risk during long-term followup.