The application of the "perinephric fat wrapping" technique with oral mucosal graft for the management of ureter repair and reconstruction.

Objective: The management of long-segment ureteral stenosis has posed a significant challenge for urologists. Ureteroplasty with oral mucosal graft has emerged as an effective approach for treating long-segment ureteral stenosis and defects. A key step in replacement repair surgery involves suturing the surrounding tissue with an adequate blood supply around the reconstructed ureter. The current study aims to evaluate the potential practical application of the "perinephric fat wrapping" technique in laparoscopic ureteroplasty with oral mucosal graft.

Methods: Between July 2018 and February 2023, 26 patients with ureteral stenosis underwent laparoscopic ureteroplasty with oral mucosal graft at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. We used traditional omental wrapping technique (OW group) or perinephric fat wrapping technique (PFW group) to enhance ureter repair. Perioperative and follow-up data for both groups were collected retrospectively and compared.

Results: There were 10 patients in OW group, including 4 males and 6 females, with BMI of 23.5±2.8 kg/m2 and stenosis length of 3.6±1.6 cm. There were 16 patients in the PFW group, including 10 males and 6 females, with a BMI of 26.1±3.3 kg/m2 and a median stenosis length of 2.3 cm (range, 1.2~6.0 cm). The operation of both groups was successfully completed, and no serious complications occurred during the operation. The mean operating time (OT) in the OW group was 200.6±41.9 min, the estimated amount of blood loss (EBL) was 25 ml (range, 10~30ml), and the median length of postoperative hospital stay (LHS) was 7.5 days (range 4.0~14.0 days). In the PFW group, the mean operating time (OT) was 211.9±38.3 min, the estimated blood loss (EBL) was 25 ml (range, 5~150ml), and the postoperative hospital stay (LHS) was 6.8±2.0 d. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the above indexes. Postoperative anal exhaust time was 1.0 d (range, 1.0~2.5d) in the PFW group and 1.9±0.5 d in the OW group, with significant difference between the two groups (P=0.009). The mean follow-up time was 36.8±15.9 months, and there was no significant difference between OW group and PFW group in the curative effect of operation.

Conclusion: Perinephric fat wrapping technique not only avoids the potential effects of using omentum on abdominal organs, it is also as safe and effective as omentum wrapping technique in repairing and reconstructing the ureter using oral mucosal grafts.