[Pyeloplasty and vascular crossing detection: Surgical approach influence on pieloureteral junction stricture.]

OBJECTIVE: Polar vessels are related with pyelo-ureteral stenosis (PUE) in 5-10% of the patients. In the 24% of these cases an intrinsic cause of stenosis can also be found. An increased incidence of polar vessels is found in laparoscopic surgery, compare to open procedures. Our study analyses this difference in our hospital, studying its influence in the aetiology of the disease.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive and retrospective study of patients operated in our hospital of pyeloplasty, because of PUE between 2009 and 2017. Patients have been divided in two groups: operated by laparoscopy (PL), or operated by conventional surgery (PA). All cases in which polar vessels were seen in TC where excluded. Each group included 47 patients.

RESULTS: We found no statistical differences in the age of surgery of the two groups (36,1±41,3 months PL/31,8±37,2 months PA; p=0.527). Overall, 18 polar vessels were found, 15 in PL and 3 in PA. 6 patients of the PA group presented recurrence of the obstruction, and in 2 of them, polar vessels were found in the second surgery. All the 18th cases presented anomalies in the histological study related with inflammation or fibrosis.

CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic approach allows a better vision of crossing vessels in the cases of extrinsic PUE. Dismembered pyeloplasty might be the best treatment, as an intrinsic cause of obstruction cannot be ruled out according to the observed histological alterations.