[Clinical results of percutaneous pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction: 5 years follow-up].

We performed percutaneous endopyeloplasty on 20 patients between February, 1988 and July, 1993. Eighteen patients had primary and two had secondary ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstructions. There were 15 female and 5 male patients, whose ages ranged from 14 to 77, with an average of 43.6. The length of the follow-up after pyeloplasty ranged from 4 to 69 months with an average of 28.7 months. Among the 20 patients, there were 4 high insertion type cases, a bifid renal pelvis in one case and one case combined with a renal stone. Incisions were made with a hook-shaped cold knife and Ono's transpelvic extraureteral approach was used in most patients. Catheters were placed at the upper and the lower of renal pelvis in the patient with a bifid renal pelvis. In the case with a renal stone, pyeloplasty was successively performed after percutaneous nephrolithotomy in a single session. An endopyelotomy stent (14 Fr) was indwelled for 6 weeks in all patients except one. All patients had a low grade fever and abdominal pain for a few days after their operations, but there were no major complications. In nineteen patients (95%), the symptoms improved and their obstructive patterns disappeared or improved during follow-up. Complete ureteral stricture was found in one case at the removal of the stent and open pyeloplasty was performed. Percutaneous endopyeloplasty is a safe and useful technique, but further evaluation and/or better techniques are needed for avoiding recurrence of obstruction.