OBJECTIVE:

To compare the medium-term results between open pyeloplasty and laparoscopic pyeloplasty in patients with primary or secondary ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A descriptive, observational, longitudinal, retrospective study was conducted on adult patients that underwent open pyeloplasty or laparoscopic pyeloplasty due to ureteropelvic junction obstruction, within the time frame of January 2007 and March 2017. The variables of surgical success (complete symptom cessation and kidney function improvement) and postoperative complications determined through the Clavien-Dindo classification were analyzed. The qualitative variables were compared using the ꭓ2 test and the independent variables with abnormal distribution were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at a p <0.05.

RESULTS:

Forty patients were registered. Their mean age was 39 years and they had a mean follow-up of 38 months (1-180). The patients that underwent the laparoscopic approach had a shorter hospital stay (3.6 ± 1.4 days vs 6.9 ± 2.1 days; p = 0.001). The laparoscopic pyeloplasty success rate was 92% in patients with no prior treatment and 100% in previously treated patients. Low-grade complications (Clavien-Dindo I and II) presented in 40% of the open surgery patients and in 44% of the patients in the laparoscopic group.

CONCLUSIONS:

Laparoscopic pyeloplasty and open pyeloplasty had similar success rates and outcomes and can be considered safe therapeutic options for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction.