Placement of a urethral catheter into the ureter: An unexpected complication after retropubic suspension.

We describe an unusual complication caused by urethral catheterization which, to our knowledge, has not yet been reported. A 16 Fr urethral balloon catheter was unintentionally placed into the left ureter through the ureteral orifice in a 51-year-old woman following retropubic suspension surgery for stress urinary incontinence. After retrograde urography from the urethral catheter and removal of the catheter, reoperation was performed and a double pig-tail ureteral stent was placed in the left ureter with subsequent proper replacement of a urethral catheter. The patient had uneventful postoperative recovery. Although the presented accident was an unexpected complication which might be associated with anatomical changes resulting from colposuspension, we should have confirmed the catheter position intraoperatively.