Easily Removable Ureteral Catheters for Internal Drainage in Children: A Preliminary Report

PURPOSE: We review our experience using a new and easily removable ureteral catheter in patients who underwent complicated ureteral reimplantation. Our goal was to shorten hospital stay and lower anxiety during catheter removal without fear of postoperative ureteral obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2009 and September 2010, nine patients who underwent our new method of catheter removal after ureteral reimplantation were enrolled. Patients who underwent simple ureteral reimplantation were excluded from the study. Following ureteral reimplantation, a combined drainage system consisting of a suprapubic cystostomy catheter and a ureteral catheter was installed. Proximal external tubing was clamped with a Hem-o-lok clamp and the rest of the external tubing was eliminated. Data concerning the age and sex of each patient, reason for operation, method of ureteral reimplantation, and postoperative parameters such as length of hospital stay and complications were recorded. RESULTS: Of the nine patients, four had refluxing megaureter, four had a solitary or non-functional contralateral kidney and one had ureteral stricture due to a previous anti-reflux operation. The catheter was removed at postoperative week one. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.4 days (range 1-4 days), and the mean follow-up was 9.8 months. None of the patients had postoperative ureteral obstructions, and there were no cases of migration or dislodgement of the catheter. CONCLUSION: Our new method for removing the ureteral catheter would shorten hospital stays and lower levels of anxiety when removing ureteral catheters in patients with a high risk of postoperative ureteral obstruction.

Retroperitoneoscopic Partial Nephrectomy in a Horseshoe Kidney

A 21-year-old woman with a 4 cm enhancing cystic renal mass in the left moiety of a horseshoe kidney was treated through a retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach. The tumor was excised completely with cold scissors, and renal parenchyma suturing with a surgical bolster was done with Vicryl 2-0 sutures. Choosing the proper approach according to the location of the lesion and the surgeon's experience with both approaches are of importance in laparoscopic surgery in horseshoe kidney cases. A preoperative kidney computed tomography angiography was helpful for understanding the complex renal vasculature.

Prospective Evaluation of the Accuracy of MDCT Angiography for Living Kidney Donor

PURPOSE: In donor nephrectomy, it is important to understand the exact anatomy of the blood vessels during minimally invasive surgery. We prospectively analyzed the accuracy of the vessel structures obtained by use of 64-row multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography compared with the actual vessel structure observed during surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 238 patients who underwent donor nephrectomy from July 2007 to August 2010. Before the operation, MDCT angiography was performed, and after the operation, the surgeons themselves wrote the protocol. The ipsilateral artery, the number of veins, the association with the run of the hilar vessel, and other vascular anomalies in computed tomography (CT) angiography and in the donor protocol were summarized. RESULTS: Among 238 patients, nephrectomy was performed on the left side in 199 patients. The accuracy of MDCT for the artery and the vein was 93.3% and 92.4%, respectively. Accuracy did not differ significantly on the left and right sides (artery: p=0.124; vein: p=0.174). In 199 patients, the CT findings for the lumbar vein were compared with the surgical findings. The overall accuracy was shown to be 84.9%, and the accuracy of the group drained to the inferior vena cava (54%) was significantly different (p<0.01) from that of the group drained to the renal vein (98.6%). Thus, it may be necessary to pay close attention to the interpretation of the findings for the lumbar vein. CONCLUSIONS: MDCT angiography is important for understanding the exact anatomy of blood vessels before minimally invasive surgery. We showed that 64-channel MDCT has high accuracy in the main vessel and hilar vessels. However, close attention to the interpretation of the CT findings for the lumbar vein may be required.

Incidentally Detected Inguinoscrotal Bladder Hernia

The bladder is involved in less than 4% of inguinal hernias. Inguinoscrotal bladder hernias are difficult to diagnose, and less than 7% are diagnosed preoperatively. Inguinoscrotal bladder hernias are usually asymptomatic. However, they can result in significant complications, such as bladder necrosis or acute renal failure. Accurate diagnosis is crucial to avoid bladder injury during surgery and other complications. Here we report the case of a 64-year-old man who presented with a scrotal mass. Ultrasonography of the scrotal mass showed a nonspecific cystic mass. During surgery, the mass was revealed to be a herniated bladder.