Laparoscopic Versus Open Pyeloplasty for Primary Pelvic Ureteric Junction Obstruction: A Prospective Single Centre Study.

Introduction The aim of the study was to compare the clinical and patient-reported outcomes among open pyeloplasty (OP) and laparoscopic pyeloplasty (LP) patients. Materials and methods This was a prospective single centre, case-cohort study conducted in a tertiary care hospital with 62 patients. In both techniques, dismembered Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty were undertaken. Post-operatively patients underwent visual analogue scale (VAS) assessment for pain, days to ambulation and comparison of the short- and long-term outcomes of the two procedures. Results There was no difference in the physical and functional outcomes between the two surgical approaches at 12 months period after surgery. However, patients in the laparoscopic group did report a higher rate of satisfaction at six weeks and six months' postoperatively. Likewise, patients in LP experienced less pain during the postoperative period (p-value <0.001), with decreased analgesic requirements. This translated into an early patient ambulation in the laparoscopic group (p-value <0.001), and a shorter hospital stay for the LP group (p-value <0.001). Moreover, follow-up ultrasound showed equal improvement of hydronephrosis among the two groups. Conclusion Laparoscopic and open pyeloplasty are equally effective in treating pelvic ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO), with comparable patient-reported outcomes at 12-month follow-up. However, the laparoscopic technique merits over open surgery with faster rehabilitation, a decreased postoperative pain experience and shorter hospital stay.

Bilateral Hydronephrosis Secondary to Giant Cell Tumor of the Sacrum.

Sacral giant cell tumors (GCTs) are rare entities that exhibit slow progressive growth and become clinically apparent when they reach a considerable size. The current case report discusses the presentation, investigation, and management of a young male patient diagnosed with a large sacral mass. A 17-year-old male patient presented with uremia, bilateral lumbar pain, and severe weakness of his lower extremities. Imaging revealed a midline sacral mass causing bilateral upper tract obstruction. The patient underwent bilateral nephrostomies followed by a partial en bloc sacrectomy and curettage of the tumor bulk. Histopathology revealed a giant cell tumor of the sacrum. Postoperatively, the patient received adjuvant radiotherapy and rehabilitation for his neurological symptoms. Sacral GCTs are essentially benign but behave like a malignant tumor in view of frequent recurrences and reports of malignant transformation. Surgery with wide local excision remains the ideal modality for complete clearance of sacral tumors. Nevertheless, limitations include their large size, difficult operative access, risk of fatal intraoperative bleeding, and inevitable high postoperative morbidity.