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The following is a summary of “Robotic-assisted laparoscopic modified ureteroplasty using lingual mucosa grafts or appendiceal flaps for the management of complex ureteral strictures: a retrospective cohort study,” published in the October 2024 issue of Surgery by Xu et al.
Complex ureteral strictures can significantly impact patients’ health, often requiring innovative surgical techniques such as robotic-assisted laparoscopic modified ureteroplasty using a lingual mucosa graft (LMG) or an appendiceal flap (AF).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of robotic-assisted laparoscopic modified ureteroplasty.
They reviewed records of 16 patients (1.5–5 cm) with complex ureteral strictures who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic modified ureteroplasty (May 2022 and October 2023).
The results showed that the operation was successfully performed in all 16 patients (12 with LMG ureteroplasty and 4 with AF ureteroplasty) without conversion to open surgery, with a mean length of ureteral stricture of 2.90 ± 0.90 cm (range: 1.5–5 cm), a mean operation duration of 209.69 ± 26.74 minutes (range: 170–255 minutes), a median estimated blood loss of 75 ml (range: 50–200 ml), and hospitalization duration of 10.44 ± 2.10 days (range: 7–14 days). Follow-up periods ranged from 6~21 months, with a surgery success rate of 100%.
They concluded that robotic-assisted laparoscopic modified ureteroplasty using AF or LMG was a safe and effective technique for managing complex ureteral strictures and warrants broader adoption.
Source: bmcsurg.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12893-024-02601-1