Peloplasty is a type of surgery that repairs your ureter – a tube that attaches your kidney and bladder. This inpatient procedure, performed by a general surgeon or urologist, corrects ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction. You’ll likely remain in the hospital for two days.
Pyeloplasty is surgery to correct a condition called ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction. “Pyelo” refers to the kidney (renal pelvis). “Plasty” is the term for a surgical procedure that repairs, restores or replaces something.
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Adults and children may need a pyeloplasty. One baby out of every 1500 is born with a UPJ obstruction. Twice as many males than females have it.
For infants, if the condition doesn’t improve within 18 months, they will likely need pyeloplasty.
Older children, teenagers and adults can also get a UPJ obstruction and may need a pyeloplasty if their kidney is obstructed.
Babies or infants go through an open pyeloplasty. An open surgery means that, when the skin and tissues are cut, the surgeon is able to see all the organs they’re accessing directly with their vision, rather than with a camera (as in laparoscopy). For babies, this open surgery is safer than the laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery performed on adults with UPJ obstruction.
In older children and adults, the surgeon only makes a small incision through which they can operate with the help of a camera (laparoscopy). A robot may also be used.
Inpatient. You or your child may be in the hospital for one to two days.
A general surgeon or urologist.
About three hours.
Yes. You or your infant will be under general anesthesia and completely asleep.
The day before the procedure you or your child won’t be allowed to eat or drink for a specific time assigned by your healthcare provider. If you don’t follow their instructions, the pyeloplasty could be postponed. Before your surgery you’ll have to sign a consent form, go over the procedure with the anesthesiologist and follow any other instructions your hospital requires.
It has the highest success rate compared to other surgical options for UPJ obstruction.
As with any operation, there are many risks including extra bleeding, damage to surrounding organs and conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery. There are risks of getting anesthesia, which will be reviewed by your anesthesiologist. After the operation, risks include scarring, infection, hernia, blood clots and need for additional operations if your obstruction returns. You or your child might also experience urine leaking from the place where your kidney joins your ureter.
Rarely, there may be an injury to your:
You or your child may feel some pain after pyeloplasty. The pain may go away after a week and you or your child will be given medications to help minimize this pain.
Pyeloplasty should hopefully prevent your kidney function from getting worse by helping them drain. Directly after you or your child’s procedure, while in the hospital, you or your child will experience the following:
Take very good care of yourself after the surgery. It’s best to have a caregiver with you at least some of the time. While you recover, you or your child should:
Pyeloplasty has good long-term success. But, as with any surgery, there is a risk of the scar tissue returning and causing a repeat obstruction of the kidney. Your healthcare provider will continue to monitor for this for several months after surgery
A pyeloplasty is effective 85% to 100% of the time.
Listen to your healthcare provider’s instructions regarding getting back to “normal.” Try short walks right after your surgery. After four to six weeks you can lift heavy things and resume working out again. Meanwhile, you can take a shower as long as you pat yourself dry afterwards. Start driving only when you feel comfortable with it, if you’re able to make an emergency stop and if you’re not taking any narcotic pain medications.
Be sure to attend all follow-up appointments. Contact your surgeon or other healthcare provider earlier if you or your child experience any of the following:
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 03/08/2021.
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