Laparoscopic pyeloplasty in infants: Single-surgeon experience

Over the past 6 years, all pyeloplasties at our unit have been performed by laparoscopy, irrespective of the age or weight of the child. In this large retrospective series, it is demonstrated that infant LP is a safe and successful operation; pyeloplasty in this age group not only resulted in significant reduction of hydronephrosis, but also in significant functional improvement. The results are comparable to published series comparing open pyeloplasty to laparoscopic and robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty, which report success rates ranging from 70 to 96%, and complication rates ranging from 0 to 24% for open pyeloplasty.Table. Summary of data from 111 patients who underwent laparoscopic pyeloplasty (116 kidneys) Data given as n (%), or mean/median (range).Sex (male)92 (83)Prenatal diagnosis96 (86)Left side71 (63)Bilateral5 (4.5)Surgical age (months)3.8 (1-12)Surgical weight (kg)5.3 (3-10.5)Surgical time (minutes)106 (65-145)Double J stent109 (94)Length of stay, median (days)2 (2-8)Intra-operative complications2 (1.7)Postoperative complications12 (10.3)Success of pyeloplasty115 (99)Failure requiring reoperation1 (1)