Percutaneous endopyelotomy for secondary ureteropelvic junction obstruction: prognostic factors affecting late recurrence.

Objective: To determine prognostic variables which influence late recurrence after initially successful percutaneous endopyelotomy for secondary ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO).

Material And Methods: Between July 1987 and March 2002, 67 patients with secondary UPJO were treated with percutaneous endopyelotomy at our center. Long-term follow-up data were available for 50 patients with initially successful results (42 after a single treatment and eight after repeated endopyelotomy). Follow-up excretory urography and diuretic renal scans were performed for objective evaluation. Late recurrence was diagnosed if obstruction developed after > 1 year of follow-up. Univariate (Kaplan-Meier method) and multivariate (Cox regression model) analyses of pre-, peri- and postoperative factors were carried out for detection of significant variables affecting the late recurrence rate.

Results: The follow-up period ranged from 1.27 to 13.85 years (mean 6 +/- 4.3 years). Late recurrence of UPJO was observed in seven cases (14%): 4/42 initially successful cases (9.5%) and 3/8 cases of repeated endopyelotomy (37.5%). In univariate analysis, the significant factors were severity of stenosis at the UPJ (p = 0.04), preoperative serum creatinine (p = 0.04), repetition of endopyelotomy (p = 0.03) and development of postoperative complications (p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, all of the above factors, with the exception of severity of stenosis at the UPJ, were independent significant factors affecting late recurrence.

Conclusions: As late recurrence was observed in 14% of cases after percutaneous endopyelotomy, long-term follow-up is needed, especially in patients with elevated preoperative serum creatinine, those in whom postoperative complications developed and those in whom a first attempt at endopyelotomy failed.