Comparison of surgical and functional outcomes of open, laparoscopic and robotic pyeloplasty for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction

Objective: To compare the surgical and functional outcomes of open, laparoscopic and robotic dismembered pyeloplasty for the treatment of patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). Material and methods: Between 2007 and 2012, a total of 56 patients underwent conventional open (Group 1; n= 25), laparoscopic (Group 2; n= 16), and robotic (Group 3; n= 15) dismembered pyeloplasty operations. Preoperative evaluation was performed using urinalysis, urine culture, blood biochemistry, urinary ultrasound, intravenous pyelogram (IVP) (optional) and Mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG-3) renal scan. The mean operation time, estimated blood loss, drain removal time, narcotic analgesic requirements, length of hospital stay and functional outcomes were compared among groups. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v. 20 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) software, and statistically significant differences were determined using a p value < 0.05. Results: The mean age of the patients was 30 years in Group 1, 34.3 years in Group 2 and 32.9 years in Group 3. The mean operation time was 127, 130 and 114 min (p= 0.32), and the estimated blood loss was 105, 31 and 28 mL, respectively (p= 0.001). The drain was removed after 4.36 (+/- 1.3), 2.33 (+/- 0.6) and 1.8 (+/- 0.6) days after surgery (p< 0.001), and the mean hospital stay was 4.14 (+/- 1.8), 2.8 (+/- 0.75) and 2 (+/- 1) days, respectively (p< 0.001). Narcotic analgesic requirement was significantly higher in Group 1 compared with Groups 2 and 3 (p= 0.02). The radiographic and symptomatic success rates were 96% in Group 1, 93.75% in Group 2 and 93.3% in Group 3. Conclusion: Laparoscopic and robotic pyeloplasty are feasible, effective, reliable and minimally invasive treatment approaches for the treatment of UPJO as compared with open dismembered pyeloplasty.