Kidney Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Kidney Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Retrograde stenting for obstruction of the renal transplant ureter.

Gerrard ER, Burns JR, Young CJ, Urban DA, Hammontree LN, El-Galley R, Kolettis PN

Division of Urology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-3411, USA.

OBJECTIVES: To present our experience with retrograde stent placement and stent exchange for transplant ureteral obstruction. METHODS: A review of our renal transplant database was performed to identify all renal transplant patients who underwent attempted retrograde ureteral stenting for allograft ureteral obstruction or attempted allograft ureteral stent exchange between May 1992 and April 2004. A retrospective review was performed. RESULTS: Forty patients underwent 52 attempted retrograde ureteral stent placements, and 11 patients underwent a total of 27 attempted stent exchanges. In patients with ureteral obstruction, the most common clinical signs and symptoms were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, decreased urine output, edema, and an elevated serum creatinine. Of the 52 cases of allograft ureteral obstruction and attempted retrograde ureteral stent placement, 28 (53.8%) were managed successfully with retrograde ureteral stenting. Of the 27 attempted stent exchange procedures, a successful exchange was accomplished in 23 cases (85.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Cystoscopy with retrograde allograft stent placement is a reasonable first approach to the management of transplant ureteral obstruction and is successful in more than one half of cases.

Published 15 August 2005 in Urology, 66(2): 256-60; discussion 260.
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