Fate of the retained ureteral stump after upper pole heminephrectomy in duplex kidneys.

Abstract

We review the long-term outcome of retained ureteral stumps in children undergoing heminephrectomy for nonfunctioning upper pole moieties in duplex kidneys. The medical records of 50 patients who underwent 50 upper pole heminephrectomies for a nonfunctioning upper pole moiety of a duplex kidney between January 1990 and December 2000 were reviewed retrospectively. Median patient age at heminephrectomy was 2.5 years (range 3 weeks to 16.5 years) and median followup was 6 years (range 1 to 11). Indications for heminephrectomy in the 50 renal units were obstructive ureterocele in 25 (50%) cases, ectopic ureter in 15 (30%), obstructive megaloureter in 5 (10%) and reflux nephropathy in 5 (10%). A total of 48 (96%) of the corresponding ureters were taken down as low as possible and transfixed through the heminephrectomy incision. Residual stump excision was required in 5 (10%) of the 50 units for recurrent urinary tract infection due to vesicoureteral reflux. Our long-term followup suggests that the majority of patients with residual ureteral stumps after upper pole heminephrectomy do not require stump resection.