Laparoscopic Transposition of Lower Pole Crossing Vessels (Vascular Hitch) in Children with Pelviureteric Junction Obstruction: How to Be Sure of the Success of the Procedure?

BACKGROUND: To report a series of children with pelviureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) due to lower polar crossing vessels who underwent laparoscopic vascular transposition. In order to confirm the relief of the obstruction and avoid unnecessary additional procedures, we suggest performing an intraoperative measure of the ureteral opening pressure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2007 and January 2014, 11 children underwent laparoscopy to treat well-documented PUJO by polar vessels. In the first 7 cases, children underwent a careful dissection of the polar vessels that were transposed cranially in the pelvis. In the last 4 cases, a percutaneous needle was inserted into the renal pelvis, and the ureteral opening pressure was obtained intraoperatively, before and after the vascular hitch procedure, in 3 cases. No vascular relocation was necessary except in 1 case with a polar vessel unrelated to the obstruction. RESULTS: The laparoscopic procedure was feasible in all cases. Median operative time was 90 minutes without intraoperative complications. In the last 3 cases, a decrease in the renal pelvic pressure was demonstrated just after releasing the ureter from the polar vessels, confirming the extrinsic obstruction. In 1 case, the intraoperative pelvic pressure measurement showed that there was no vascular compression but that obstruction was due to renal rotation. During follow-up (range, 12-96 months) all patients reported resolution of their symptoms, nine children showed a decrease in the hydronephrosis grade, and all but one with poor function had improved drainage on diuretic renography. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative measurement of ureteral opening pressure may help to confirm that the vascular hitch procedure has relieved the pelvic obstruction, precluding the need for dismembered procedures. We believe that in some doubtful cases, with the addition of intraoperative pelvic pressure measurement, vascular hitch may be considered a safe procedure to treat selected cases of PUJO in children.

Fístula arteriovenosa em crianças e adultos jovens / Arteriovenous fistula in children and young adults

Objetivo: Com a introdução e o aprimoramento de técnicas para a realização de fístulas arteriovenosas(FAV) em crianças, pacientes renais crônicos puderam iniciar tratamento com hemodiálise sem a necessidadede uso de shunts externos. Métodos: Com o objetivo avaliar os resultados da confecção de fístulas arteriovenosasem crianças e adultos jovens de baixo peso e os fatores de risco relacionados. Foram levantados retrospectivamenteos prontuários de 31 pacientes submetidos a 35 FAV, com idade variando de cinco a 24 anos, com pesoentre 16 e 50kg. Os fatores de risco estudados foram hipertensão arterial, antecedentes de trombose, tendência àhipovolemia e presença de hipercolesterolemia. Resultados: O índice de perda observado foi de 25% em pacientes com menos de 20kg e de 22,2% naqueles com mais de 20kg, resultados comparáveis aos da literatura. Conclusões: Observou-se que fístulas proximais não sofreram trombose; não houve relação entre a perda da FAV e os fatores de risco estudados e observou-se um índice de perda tardia de 23,5% nos pacientes que não estavam sendo submetidos à hemodiálise. Nos pacientes que utilizavam a FAV não se observou perda da mesma.

Background: Since the development of operative techniques for arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation, chronic hemodialysis for treatment of end-stage renal disease in children and young adults became an actual therapeuticoption, obviating the need for external shunts. Purpose: To report our experience with surgically created AVF in 31 patients, aged 5 to 24 years old, relating long-term fistula patency with risk factors such as arterial hypertension, previous thrombosis events, tendency to hypovolemy, hypercholesterolemy, vein caliber and routine use of the fistula. Results: Overall rate of fistula thrombosis was 22,8%, being 25% in patients weighing less than 20kg and 22,2% in those over 20kg. All fistulas performed on proximal arm veins were patent after 5 to 32 months follow-up. Unused AV fistulas apparently had an increased risk of thrombosis when compared to fistulas routinelly used for hemodialysis access. None of the remainy risk factors studied showed estatistical association withloss of patency. Conclusion: AV fistulas can be safely performed in children with success rate comparable to those observed in older patients. Vein caliber and routine use of the fistula appears to have a strong influence on long term patency.