[The opportunities of pneumovesicoscopic approach for correction of disorders of vesicoureteral junction in children].

Background: pneumovesicoscopic approach gives new possibilities for endovideosurgical correction of congenital ureteral and bladder pathology.

Aim: To increase the efficiency of ureteral reimplantation in patients with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), obstructive megaureter and bladder pathology by using pneumovesicoscopic access.

Materials And Methods: For the period 2014 - 2020 a total of 52 children aged from 10 months up to 15 years (median 2.5 years) were treated. In all patients, pneumovesicoscopic ureteral reimplantation according to the Cohen technique was performed, and in six cases bilateral procedure was done. 30 patients with obstructive megaureter (32 ureters) were treated, and intravesical suturing with ureteral plication was performed in 9 patients. Reimplantation for grade 3-5 VUR was performed in 22 patients (26 ureters), in combination with excision of the bladder diverticulum was done in 3 patients, while 3 children were undergone to simultaneous excision of the ureterocele. An original technique for fixation of the mobilized dilated ureter with a ligature to the bladder neck is proposed to simplify its intravesical suturing according to the Starr technique.

Results: The mean operation time was 142 (83-235 minutes). Conversion to open surgery was required in 1 (1.9%) child during the learning curve. The length of stay was 5-6 days, with an average of 5.21 days. According to ultrasound data, after 1, 3, 6 months there was a decrease in the size of the collecting system and ureter in all cases. At cystography after 6-12 months, VUR was detected in 3 (5.7%) children: in 2 (9%) patients with grade 3-5 VUR and in 1 (3.3%) patient with obstructive megaureter and ureteral suturing.

Conclusion: Pneumovesicoscopic access for ureteral reimplantation in patients with VUR, obstructive megaureter, bladder diverticulum and ureterocele has proven its efficiency and reliability with a minimal complication rate (5.7%). Our proposed method of fixing the mobilized ureter with a ligature to the bladder neck helps to simplify the suturing of the ureter and to shorten the operation time.