Pyeloplasty (surgery to relieve kidney blockage)

This operation removes a blockage that is keeping urine (pee) from reaching the bladder. In most cases, pyeloplasty physically cuts out a blocked part of the tube for urine (called the ureter). These blockages often happen right where the urine leaves the kidney to go down the tube toward the bladder due to an abnormality in how the tube developed.

In other cases, another body part is blocking or pushing externally on the UPJ, preventing urine from easily passing. For example, a blood vessel may cross over top of the urine tube, narrowing an area. This can lead to kidney pain, often felt as back or side pain. In these cases, pyeloplasty involves cutting the urine tube and pulling it out from behind the blood vessel. The tube is then reconnected over top of the blood vessel so that the flow of urine is no longer blocked.

There are three possible ways the surgery may be done:

Open surgery – A small cut (a couple of centimeters wide) is made in the side with the problem. The skin is pulled aside so the surgeon can see and work directly on the child. This is usually done in young babies.

Laparoscopic surgery – Several tiny cuts (a few millimeters wide) are made in the belly. The surgeon holds long, thin “sticks” with tools and a camera inside the tiny holes and operates using the sticks, from the outside of the belly.

Robotic surgery – Several tiny cuts (several millimeters wide) are made in the belly. The surgeon uses a computer to control the robotic arms, which move small tools underneath the skin to do the operation.

Pyeloplasty (surgery to relieve kidney blockage)

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