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Background: With the use of multimodal treatments and hematopoietic stem cell transplant, the majority of children diagnosed with malignancies and hematologic diseases are now surviving into adulthood. Due to the gonadotoxic effects and potential for future infertility associated with many of these treatments, fertility counseling with sperm cryopreservation prior to starting therapy is the standard of care for post-pubertal males. Unfortunately, the options are limited for pre-pubertal patients or those unable to provide a specimen. Testicular tissue cryopreservation (TTC) is an investigational method to surgically obtain germ cells from testicular tissue and potentially restore future spermatogenesis. While TTC has been shown to be safe, little is reported on the time to treatment following the procedure to ensure adequate wound healing and avoid delays in definitive therapy., Objectives: The primary outcome was the time to initiation of treatment following TTC. Secondary outcomes were complication rates, delays in treatment due to TTC, and presence of germ cells., Methods: We conducted a single-institution retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing TTC between 2017 and 2023. Patients at significant risk for treatment related infertility based on established criteria were eligible for TTC. Patients were excluded if they received their oncology or hematology care elsewhere. All patients were enrolled in an IRB approved research protocol with 75% of the tissue submitted for cryopreservation and 25% for research purposes. Time to therapy was defined as the first receipt of gonadotoxic treatment following TTC., Results: A total of 122 patients (53 = malignant, 69 = non-malignant) underwent TTC with a median age of 5.9 years (IQR 2.3-9.35). Germ cells were identified in 115 (94%) specimens. A total of 109 (89%) patients underwent concomitant procedures. The median time to initiation of therapy was 5 (IQR 1.0-7.0) and 7 days (IQR 6.0-13.0) for malignant and non-malignant disease, respectively. The 30-day surgical complication rate was 2.5% and was similar between malignant vs non-malignant diagnoses (p = 0.58). All surgical complications were managed non-operatively. No patients had a delay in definitive treatment due to concern for wound healing or complications., Discussion: Our surgical complication rates are similar to previous studies and are not affected by the time to treatment following TTC. Limitations of the study are its retrospective design, single institution, and short-term follow up., Conclusion: TTC can be performed safely, efficiently, and in conjunction with other necessary procedures without resulting in delays of definitive treatment. TTC affords the opportunity for fertility preservation in children who have no other options., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pediatric urolithiasis has been increasing at rate of 4-10 % annually in the United States, most notably within adolescents and females. A significant number of patients will require surgical management of their stones. Primary ureteroscopy (URS) affords the opportunity to treat stones under a single anesthetic with lower re-treatment rates or anatomical and stone characteristic limitations compared to shockwave lithotripsy. Previous studies evaluating primary URS have been largely underpowered, are limited by stone location, and/or are not representative of the stone population in the United States., Objectives: Primary study outcomes were the success of primary URS and patient characteristics associated with success. Secondary outcomes were the stone-free rate (SFR), 30-day emergency department (ED) visits, 30-day readmissions, and complications., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients less than 18 years of age from 2011 to 2023 who underwent primary URS. Patients were excluded if a ureteral stent was placed prior to URS or diagnostic URS was performed. A successful primary URS was considered if access to the ureter was obtained and treatment of the stone(s) completed. In failed primary URS, a ureteral stent was placed for staged management., Results: A total of 196 patients were included and primary URS was performed or attempted on 224 renal units. The median age was 15.8 (IQR 13.4-16.9) years and median follow up 8.4 (IQR 1.1-24.6) months. The success rate of primary URS was 79 %. No significant characteristics were appreciated for successful primary URS based on: overall age, <14 vs > 14 years of age, sex, body mass index, history of stones, history of endourologic procedures, preoperative alpha blockade, location of stone(s), multiple stones, type of URS, or acute treatment. In successful primary URS, the SFR was 88 % with stone size (p = 0.0001) the only predictor of having residual stones. The 30-day ED rate was 21.4 %, 30-day unplanned readmission rate was 12.5 %, and complication rate was 7.5 %. No long-term complications were appreciated., Discussion: Our success of primary URS compares favorably to previously published literature. Our SFR rate, 30-day ED visits, 30-day unplanned readmission, and complication rates are similar to other studies. Limitations of the study are its retrospective design, selection bias, and intermediate follow-up., Conclusions: Primary URS can be completed safely in the majority of pediatric patients without any patient characteristics associated with success. We advocate for primary URS when possible due to the excellent SFR and potential of treating stones under a single anesthetic., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Anorectal malformations (ARM) are associated with neurogenic bladder. The traditional surgical ARM repair is a posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP), which is believed to have a minimal effect on bladder dynamics. However, little is known about the effects of reoperative PSARP (rPSARP) on bladder function. We hypothesized that a high rate of bladder dysfunction existed in this cohort., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of ARM patients undergoing rPSARP at a single institution from 2008 to 2015. Only patients with Urology follow-up were included in our analysis. Data was collected regarding original level of ARM, coexisting spinal anomalies and indications for reoperation. We assessed urodynamic variables and bladder management (voiding, CIC or diverted) before and after rPSARP., Results: A total of 172 patients were identified, of which 85 met inclusion criteria with a median follow-up of 23.9 months (IQR, 5.9-43.8 months). Thirty-six patients had spinal cord anomalies. Indications for rPSARP included mislocation (n = 42), posterior urethral diverticulum (PUD; n = 16), stricture (n = 19) and rectal prolapse (n = 8). Within 1 year following rPSARP, 11 patients (12.9%) had a negative change in bladder management, defined as need for beginning intermittent catheterization or undergoing urinary diversion, which increased to 16 patients (18.8%) at last follow-up. Postoperative bladder management changed in rPSARP patients with mislocation (p < 0.0001) and stricture (p 0.005) but not for rectal prolapse (p 0.143)., Conclusions: Patients who undergo rPSARP warrant especially close attention for bladder dysfunction as we observed a negative postoperative change in bladder management in 18.8% of our series., Level of Evidence: Level IV., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Intraluminal polyps are a known complication following creation of a urinary continent catheterizable channel (Mitrofanoff). These polyps can lead to difficult catheterizations in addition to symptomatic bleeding. However, there is limited data available regarding management and outcomes of these polyps. We aim to describe clinical presentation and management of a large series of polyps occurring in a Mitrofanoff channel., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients that were treated for polyps in a Mitrofanoff at our institution. Information was collected regarding presenting symptoms, management and recurrence rates of the polyps., Results: A total of 24 patients were identified that fulfilled inclusion criteria. The majority of these polyps developed in channels composed of appendix (87%), while only 3 patients (13%) had polyps develop in an ileal composed channel. Thirteen (54%) of these polyps were incidentally diagnosed while 11 patients presented with a variety of symptoms such as difficulty in catheterization, bleeding with catheterization or both difficulty catheterizing and bleeding. For management of the polyps, a cystoscopy was performed and snaring the polyp with stone basket was performed in 37%, energy was applied to base to remove polyps in 33%, 16% were fulgurated and only 13% were left in situ. All procedures were performed under general anesthesia and all of the pathology was benign showing chronic inflammatory tissue. Eight polyps (33%) recurred after initial treatment., Discussion: We did not observe an asymptomatic channel polyp convert to a symptomatic during our follow up period. Our experience has led us to not intervene on all asymptomatic Mitrofanoff polyps encountered during cystoscopy under assumption they will inevitably become symptomatic. Although we admit our follow up period may not be long enough to make this a universal declaration of best practice when any Mitrofanoff polyp is diagnosed. Endoscopic treatment was effective minimally invasive method to address the symptomatic polyp rather than excision and construction of new channel., Conclusions: This is the largest series to date of polyps developing in urinary continent catheterizable channels. The majority of these polyps were encountered incidentally however symptomatic polyps presented with difficulty with catheterizations. Symptomatic polyps can be managed endoscopically but recurrence of the polyp can occur., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None., (Copyright © 2021 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In utero myelomeningocele (MMC) repair has resulted in significant decrease in need for shunt-dependent hydrocephalus, however its impact on bladder function remains less clear. Neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) due to MMC can be addressed with combination of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) and anticholinergic (AC) therapy to minimize its effect on bladder function and upper urinary tract. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of postnatal AC utilization for in patients that underwent either postnatal or in utero MMC repair related to neurogenic bladder (NGB) management. We hypothesized that postnatal MMC repair would be associated with increased risk of postnatal AC utilization compared to in utero MMC repair., Material and Methods: All newborns with MMC in our hospital undergo prospective surveillance radiographic and urodynamic testing as part of institutional MMC protocol. Those MMC patients born between 2013 and 2018 at our institution, who underwent in utero or postnatal MMC repair were retrospectively analyzed. We identified postnatal AC utilization from electronic medical records and recorded indications for AC therapy according to the urodynamic, radiographic and clinical findings related to NGB management., Results: 97 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 56 patients underwent a postnatal and 41 an in utero repair. Median follow-up for the in utero and postnatal MMC repair groups was the same at 37 months (p = 0.53). More newborns from the postnatal group were discharged from birth hospital performing CIC (91.1% vs. 58.5%, p < 0.0001), however upon last follow up no difference existed between the groups on use of CIC (83.9% postnatal group % vs. 82.9% in utero group, p = 0.78). At last follow up, postnatal AC utilization was observed in 75% of postnatal MMC group compared to 78.1% of the in utero MMC repair group, p = 0.81 (Figure). The median time to AC utilization was 6.9 months and 8.8 months in the in utero and postnatal groups, respectively (p = 0.28)., Discussion: We observed no reduction in risk of AC utilization with in utero repair which refuted the hypothesis of our study. Indications for AC utilization were urodynamic abnormalities such as NDO (81.3% in utero vs. 81% postnatal) or impaired bladder compliance (53.1% in utero vs. 64.3% postnatal)., Conclusions: We found no difference in risk of postnatal AC utilization between in utero or postnatal MMC repair. CIC rates were higher at birth hospital discharge in the postnatal repair group, however at last follow up CIC rates did not differ between groups., (Copyright © 2021 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: When creating a continent catheterizable channel (CCC) the choice of bowel segment used as the conduit should be tempered with the morbidity associated with it. The split-appendix technique allows the creation of both a urinary and fecal CCC without the need for a bowel anastomosis. However, there is concern that by splitting the appendix there is compromise to its blood supply and may affect outcomes. We aim to compare what affect the bowel segment used for urinary and fecal CCCs has on perioperative and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing simultaneous urinary and fecal reconstruction., Methods: A retrospective review was performed analyzing all patients that underwent simultaneous continent catheterizable urinary and fecal CCC between the years 2010-2016. Patient demographics, channel characteristics, perioperative complications and clinical success rate were analyzed., Results: A total of 106 patients were identified that had simultaneous fecal and urinary CCC created at time of reconstruction. For urinary CCC, there were 64 patients (60.4%) that underwent a split-appendix technique, 27 patients (25.4%) underwent a Monti, and 15 patients (14.2%) had the appendix used only for the urinary channel. Those patients undergoing a split-appendix technique had median operative time of 447 min compared to 619 min when a Monti channel was created. The median length of hospital stay was 9 days for the split-appendix technique compared to 12 and 13 day median hospital stay when the appendix was used only for the urinary channel or a Monti was created, respectively. There was no difference seen in revision free survival of the channel following surgery of any of the channels with median follow-up of 44.5 months. However, there were more subfascial revisions of urinary CCC in those that underwent a Monti (5 patients, 18.5%) compared to other bowel segments (0 patients)., Conclusions: Utilizing a split-appendix approach for creation of urinary and fecal CCCs does not affect 30-day complications or long-term revision rates compared to other established techniques. This technique minimizes the potential surgical morbidity of a bowel anastomosis and provide shorter operative times, when feasible, at time of simultaneous creation of fecal and urinary CCC., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction and Objectives: Anorectal malformations (ARMs) represent a complex spectrum of anorectal and genitourinary anomalies and a paucity of evidence is available on long-term urologic outcomes in all ARM subtypes. It was our subjective bias from being a referral center for ARM patients that the subtype of rectovestibular fistula and absent vagina had higher risk of renal and bladder abnormalities than typical rectovestibular fistula patients. Therefore, to confirm or refute our clinical suspicions, the purpose of this study was to review this specific cohort of ARM patients and describe both the clinical urological and urodynamic outcomes., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for 120 patients who were treated for ARM and vaginal replacement at our institution between 1991 and 2017. Fifteen patients with rectovestibular fistula and absent vagina were included in our review. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from their medical records, including urodynamic findings, need for clean intermittent catheterization (CIC), urinary continence, and renal function., Results: Vaginal replacement surgery was undertaken concomitantly with ARM repair in 10 of the 15 patients (67%). One patient was lost to follow up, and mean follow up postoperatively was 39 months. In all but one patient, rectum or colon was used as the substrate for vaginal replacement. Of the 15 patients, 13 had continence data available. A total of 10 patients (77%) were able to achieve social continence. Overall six patients used CIC to manage their bladder and 40% of continent patients used CIC. Urinary continence outcomes in patients who had partial vaginal replacement compared to those with total vaginal replacement did not reveal a clinically significant difference. Continence was achieved in 3/4 patients (75%) with a history of tethered cord compared to 7/9 patients (78%) without a history of tethered cord release. Urodynamics were performed postoperatively in 7 of the 157 patients (47%). Uninhibited detrusor contractions (UDCs) were present in 3 out of 7 patients, and a cystometric capacity greater than expected was noted in 4 patients. Additionally, 2 patients had end filling detrusor pressure greater than 40 cm H2O. GFR data were available for 13 of the 15 patients and (85%) were classified as chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage I or not having any significant loss of renal function., Conclusions: In this cohort of rectovestibular fistula and absent vagina, 77% reported achieving urinary continence. However CIC was employed in 40% of the patients which is higher than prior published noncloaca female ARM patient population. Urodynamic abnormalities were noted when performed and led to change in bladder management. Renal function measured with GFR was normal in 85%. Patients with rectovestibular fistula and absent vagina benefit from urologic screening given higher rates of lower urinary tract dysfunction that can require CIC to protect the upper urinary tract and achieve urinary continence., Type of Study: Case series., Level of Evidence: Level IV., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Urolithiasis is becoming more prevalent in children in the United States. A multidisciplinary pediatric stone center was initiated in 2014 to address this growing public health issue. The purpose of this manuscript is to assess the development of the stone center and its clinical outcomes., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess clinical outcomes. Inclusion criteria included patients younger than 21 years of age with more than 6 months of followup. Data abstracted from the medical record included patient demographics, medications, imaging, metabolic evaluations, surgical procedures, and emergency department visits. The number of surgical procedures, emergency department visits, and computerized tomography scans were compared before and after the first visit to the stone center., Results: A total of 353 patients were evaluated in the stone center during the study period, 264 (98 male, 166 female) of whom met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 14.5 years, and the mean followup was 1.1 years. Of all patients 60% had a metabolic abnormality. Prior to the first visit 104 patients underwent surgery. Surgical procedures decreased from 39% to 17% during the year before and at any time after the first visit (p <0.0001). Emergency department visits per year decreased from 1.4 to 0.6 before and after the first visit (p <0.0001). Computerized tomography scan use decreased from 32% to 24% (p=0.3)., Conclusions: A multidisciplinary stone center can be a feasible option to coordinate care and improve clinical outcomes. In our series the number of surgical procedures and emergency department visits decreased after enrollment.

Introduction: In patients with neurogenic bladder outlet incompetence, a bladder outlet procedure (BOP) may be required to achieve urinary continence. However, when performed in isolation, a BOP can be associated with bladder deterioration and upper-tract injury. In the event of bladder deterioration, additional procedures such as bladder augmentation (BA) or botulinum toxin injection (BTI) may be pursued., Objective: The aim of this study was to assess long-term outcomes after isolated BOP in a pediatric myelomeningocele (MMC) population, including the need for additional surgical intervention in the form of BTI or BA., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for patients with MMC who underwent an isolated BOP between 2004 and 2017. Primary outcomes included the need for postoperative BTI or BA. Secondary outcomes included the association between preoperative urodynamic parameters and need for BTI or BA., Results: BTI or BA was performed in 18 of 36 (50%) patients at a median of 17.8 months (IQR 11.2-29.3) after an isolated BOP. A median of 1 (IQR 1-3) BTI was performed in 11 (30.6%) patients. BA was performed in 9 (25%) patients, including 2 patients who previously underwent BTI. Patients who did not undergo BTI or BA after BOP had a slightly increased percentage estimated bladder capacity at the end of follow-up (107% versus 95%, p=0.42). By contrast, patients who underwent BTI or BA had a post-BOP percentage estimated bladder capacity that decreased from 112 to 70% (p < 0.001), increased maximum detrusor leak point pressure from 43 to 67 cm H 2 O (p = 0.01), and higher rate of de novo upper-tract changes. Unfortunately, no preoperative clinical, radiographic, or urodynamic factors predicted the need for BTI or BA., Discussion: On time-to-event analysis, the risk of BTI or BA was 53% at 5 years in our cohort. Risk of these procedures was highest in the first two years after BOP. 9 of 11 (82%) patients who underwent BTI had improvement in bladder dynamics and BA was not pursued. These findings suggest that BTI provides a less-morbid alternative to BA in patients with MMC and de novo adverse bladder storage changes after an isolated BOP., Conclusion: The need for BTI or BA after an isolated BOP is significant in patients with MMC. BTI offers a less-invasive alternative to BA in this population., (Copyright © 2019 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Reaugmentation cystoplasty rates vary in the literature but have been reported as high as 15%. It is likely that bladders augmented with detubularized and reconfigured bowel are less likely to require reaugmentation. We assessed the incidence of reaugmentation among patients with spina bifida at 2 high volume reconstruction centers., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with spina bifida who underwent enterocystoplasty before age 21 years (1987 to 2017). Those who did not undergo augmentation with a detubularized and reconfigured bowel segment were excluded from analysis. Data on demographic and surgical variables were collected. Reaugmentation was the main outcome. One analysis was performed using the entire cohort and another analysis was restricted to patients with ileocystoplasty performed in the last 15 years (2002 to 2017). Survival analysis was used., Results: A total of 289 patients were identified. Enterocystoplasty was performed in patients at a median age of 8.1 years (median followup 11.3, IQR 5.2-14.9). Most initial augmentations were performed using ileum (93.4%), followed by sigmoid (6.2%). Seven patients underwent reaugmentation, including 6 with initial augmentation using ileum and 1 with initial augmentation using sigmoid. On survival analysis risk of reaugmentation was 1.1% at 5 years and 3.3% at 10 years after the original surgery. All reaugmentations occurred within the first 9 years of followup. In the more contemporary cohort (162, median followup 7.0 years) only 1 patient underwent reaugmentation at 2.0 years., Conclusions: The risk of reaugmentation after enterocystoplasty with a detubularized and reconfigured bowel in the spina bifida population is lower than that reported in initial series.

Introduction: Children with neurogenic bladder (NGB) often require a lifetime of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC), typically using uncoated catheters (UCs). Hydrophilic catheters (HCs) have lower friction than UCs with reported less damage to the urethra. The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes between these catheters., Methods: An investigator-initiated, prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare HCs versus UCs. Children aged 2-17 years with NGB on CIC were enrolled for 1 year. Block randomization was used. Dexterity scores were obtained in those who perform self-catheterization. Outcomes were UTI, difficulty passing the catheter, urethral injury, and patient satisfaction., Results: Demographic data is presented in the Table. Seventy-eight patients were enrolled. Age and gender were similar between the groups. Fifteen patients in each group performed CIC via an abdominal wall stoma. Eight and 15 patients withdrew from the UC and HC groups, respectively. The HC group overall had more problems with the catheter, mainly difficulty with handling. There were no differences for passing the catheter, pain, hematuria, or urethral injuries. There were two urinary tract infections (UTIs) in two HC patients and 17 UTIs in seven UC patients (p = 0.003). Patients with UTIs in the HC group went from 16% in the previous year to 5% during the study. Three children in the HC group had three or more UTIs in the year before enrollment and none during the study. The patients that completed the study with HC were overall satisfied and many requested to continue with the HC., Conclusions: HCs may decrease the risk of UTI in children with NGB. Urethral complications were low in both groups. Most HC patients were pleased but some found the slippery coating difficult to handle., (Copyright © 2017 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Gaining access into non-dilated renal collecting systems for percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, particularly in patients with prohibitive body habitus and/or scoliosis, is often challenging using conventional techniques., Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of cone-beam CT for percutaneous nephrostomy placement for subsequent percutaneous nephrolithotripsy in children and adolescents., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of percutaneous nephrostomy revealed use of cone-beam CT and 3-D guidance in 12 percutaneous nephrostomy procedures for 9 patients between 2006 and 2015. All cone-beam CT-guided percutaneous nephrostomies were for pre-lithotripsy access and all 12 were placed in non-dilated collecting systems., Results: Technical success was 100%. There were no complications., Conclusion: Cone-beam CT with 3-D guidance is a technically feasible technique for percutaneous nephrostomy in children and adolescents, specifically for nephrolithotripsy access in non-dilated collecting systems.

Purpose: Children born with persistent cloaca undergo complex pelvic reconstruction early in life. Long-term risks of bladder dysfunction and chronic kidney disease are well described. We report upper urinary tract outcomes and the risk of chronic kidney disease stage progression in this patient population., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied a cohort of patients undergoing posterior sagittal anorecto-vagino-urethroplasty at a single institution from 2006 to 2013. Inclusion criteria consisted of complete urological care at our institution. Chronic kidney disease stage was calculated from cystatin C or nuclear medicine glomerular filtration rate., Results: A total of 44 patients met inclusion criteria. Of the patients 12 had undergone vesicostomy or ureterostomy. A total of 19 patients had hydronephrosis, 19 had vesicoureteral reflux and 15 had a tethered spinal cord. Median length of the common channel was 3.5 cm. Median age at posterior sagittal anorecto-vagino-urethroplasty was 7.3 months. Median followup was 5.3 years. A total of 30 patients had neurogenic bladder, of whom 27 required clean intermittent catheterization and 3 had undergone vesicostomy. Of the patients 38 had stage I or II, 5 had stage III and 1 had stage IV chronic kidney disease. During followup no patient with initial stage I to III chronic kidney disease had stage progression. The patient with stage IV chronic kidney disease had a renal allograft placed at age 34 months before needing dialysis., Conclusions: Early outcomes in patients with stage I to III chronic kidney disease demonstrate that renal function can be maintained despite a high rate of lower urinary tract dysfunction. Aggressive bladder management may help prevent progressive renal injury in this population., (Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pediatric transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder are typically characterized by low-grade histology, adolescent and young adult age, and cure with surgical resection. Here, we report a high-grade transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in a 5-year-old boy treated with a partial cystectomy and adjuvant intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin.

Objective: To present our experience with infant pyeloplasty, comparing outcomes between robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) and open pyeloplasty (OP)., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all children <1 year of age who underwent unilateral dismembered pyeloplasty at a single pediatric institution since January 2007. Patients with standard laparoscopic pyeloplasty were excluded. Patient demographics, intraoperative details, narcotic usage, and complications were reviewed., Results: A total of 70 infants (51 boys and 19 girls) were identified, with nine RALP and 61 OP performed. Median age was 9.2 months (range, 3.7-11.9 months) for RALP and 4.1 months (range, 1.0-11.6 months) for OP (p = 0.005). Median weight was 8 kg (range, 5.8-10.9 kg) for RALP and 7 kg (range, 4-14 kg) for OP (p = 0.163). Median operative time was 115 min (range, 95-205 min) for RALP and 166 min (range, 79-300 min) for OP (p = 0.028). Median hospital stay was 1 day (range, 1-2 days) for RALP and 3 days (range, 1-7 days) for OP (p < 0.001). Median postoperative narcotic use of morphine equivalent was <0.01 mg/kg/day (range, 0-0.1 mg/kg/day) for RALP and 0.05 mg/kg/day (range, 0-2.2 mg/kg/day) for OP (p < 0.001). Median follow-up was 10 months (range, 7.2-17.8 months) for RALP and 43.6 months (3.4-73.8 months) for OP (p < 0.001). The success rate was 100% for RALP and 98% for OP., Conclusions: Infant RALP was observed to be feasible and efficacious with shorter operative time, hospital stay, and narcotic utilization than OP., (Copyright © 2013 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Recent investigations described the use of NGAL, a sensitive biomarker for kidney injury, in the setting of ureteropelvic junction obstruction. We prospectively evaluated urinary NGAL levels in the affected renal pelvis and bladder of children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction undergoing unilateral dismembered pyeloplasty. Our hypothesis was that higher NGAL in the kidney and bladder would correlate with decreased ipsilateral differential function., Materials and Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study in patients treated with unilateral dismembered pyeloplasty from 2010 to 2012. Urine was obtained intraoperatively from the bladder and obstructed renal pelvis. A control population of unaffected children was recruited to provide a voided bladder specimen. Bladder NGAL levels were compared between the study and control populations. We tested our study hypothesis by correlating bladder and renal pelvic NGAL levels with the differential renal function of the affected kidney., Results: A total of 61 patients with a median age at surgery of 1.62 years (range 0.12 to 18.7) were enrolled in the study. Median bladder NGAL was 18.6 ng/mg (range 1.4-1,650.8) and median renal pelvic NGAL was 26.2 ng/mg (range 1.2-18,034.5, p = 0.004). Median bladder NGAL was significantly higher than in controls (p = 0.004). The correlation of bladder and renal pelvic NGAL with differential renal function was r = -0.359 (p = 0.004) and r = -0.383 (p = 0.002), respectively., Conclusions: Bladder NGAL is increased in children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Renal pelvic and bladder normalized urinary NGAL levels correlate inversely with the relative function of the affected kidney in cases of unilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction., (Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Children with end-stage renal disease and bladder dysfunction may require augmentation cystoplasty before kidney transplantation. Previous reports have suggested unacceptable urinary tract infection rates in these immunosuppressed patients. We reviewed our experience in this population., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied patients undergoing augmentation cystoplasty and subsequent renal transplantation by a single surgeon between 1989 and 2007. This cohort was compared with a control group on clean intermittent catheterization who had undergone transplantation without augmentation. Patient demographics, etiology of renal failure, surgical details, surgical/allograft outcomes and occurrence of urinary tract infection were analyzed., Results: The augmented group included 17 patients with a median age at reconstruction of 6.4 years. Stomach was used in 15 patients and colon in 2. Median time between reconstruction and transplantation was 1.2 years. Median followup after transplantation was 7.7 years. The control group included 17 patients with a median age at transplantation of 10.9 years. Median followup in the controls was 6.1 years. All ureteral reimplantations were antirefluxing. Patients on clean intermittent catheterization were maintained on oral antibiotic suppression and/or gentamicin bladder irrigations. In the augmented group 35 episodes of urinary tract infection were noted, and the number of documented infections per patient-year of followup was 0.22, compared to 32 episodes of urinary tract infection and 0.28 infections per patient-year of followup in the controls. No allograft was lost to infectious complications., Conclusions: In our series there was no increase in urinary tract infection rate following renal transplantation in patients with augmented bladders compared to controls. This finding may be due to the use of gastric augmentation, antirefluxing reimplantation and gentamicin irrigations., (Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Children with chronic renal insufficiency and neuropathic bladder resistant to medical management may require lower urinary tract reconstruction before renal transplantation. A low pressure urinary reservoir optimizes the chance of graft survival and may slow native kidney death. We evaluated whether the renal deterioration rate is affected by augmentation cystoplasty., Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study in children who presented to our institution with chronic renal insufficiency and neuropathic bladders from 2005 to 2009. Chronic renal insufficiency was defined as a glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 ml per minute. As a surrogate for renal function change, we used the inverse creatinine trend with respect to time to determine the progression rate of renal insufficiency before and after augmentation., Results: A total of 11 patients with a mean glomerular filtration rate of 34 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), mean bladder capacity 168 ml and mean compliance 3.5 ml/cm H(2)O met study inclusion criteria. Bladder augmentation or replacement was done at a mean age of 9.7 years with a resultant mean capacity of 486 ml and compliance of 14.7 ml/cm H(2)O. Mean followup was 4 years before and 1.9 years after augmentation. There was no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative slopes of inverse creatinine in 8 of 11 patients (73%). Two of the 3 patients (18%) with different preoperative and postoperative slopes had improving renal function after surgery. There was no statistically significant difference in slopes across all patients., Conclusions: In our series bladder augmentation did not appear to hasten progression to end stage renal disease in patients with severe chronic renal insufficiency and neuropathic bladder., (Copyright © 2010 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The management of ureteral stones in children is becoming more similar to that in adults. A number of factors must be taken into account when selecting one's choice of therapy for ureteral stone in children such as the size of the stone, its location, its composition, and urinary tract anatomy. Endoscopic lithotripsy in children has gradually become a major technique for the treatment of ureteral stones. The stone-free rate following urteroscopic lithotripsy for ureteral stones has been reported in as high as 98.5-100%. The safety and efficacy of Holmium:YAG laser lithotripsy make it the intracorporeal lithotriptor of choice. Given its minimally invasive features, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has become a primary mode of treatment for the pediatric patients with reno-ureteral stones. Stone-free rates have been reported from 59% to 91% although some patients will require more than one treatment session for stone clearance. It appears that the first-line of therapy in the child with distal and mid-ureteral stones should be ureteroscopic lithotripsy. While ESWL is still widely considered the first-line therapy for proximal ureteral calculi, there is an increasing body of evidence that shows that endoscopic or ESWL are equally safe and efficacious in those clinical scenarios. Familiarity with the full spectrum of endourological techniques facilitates a minimally invasive approach to pediatric ureteral stones.

Objectives: To determine which risk factors help predict recurrent stone formation. Urinary stone disease is relatively rare in children. At our institution, a full urinary metabolic evaluation is initiated after the first stone episode., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess urinary metabolic profiles in children with urolithiasis. Twenty-four-hour urine collections were performed and evaluated. Urine chemistries were adjusted for creatinine and weight. Abnormal thresholds were obtained from the available published data. The patients were stratified into solitary or recurrent stone formers by review of the medical record. Multivariate analysis was performed with a logistic regression model to assess for independent risk factors for stone recurrence., Results: A total of 148 samples from 88 patients with solitary stones and 84 samples from 51 patients with recurrent stones were evaluated. Age and gender were well-matched between the 2 groups. Most known stones were calcium oxalate, and there were no radiolucent stones in those with unknown composition. A significantly higher number of patients with recurrent stones had abnormal values for calcium (73% vs 57%) and citrate (30% vs 13%) by univariate analysis. Both calcium (odds ratio, 2.3, P <.01) and citrate (odds ratio, 3.5, P <.001) remained independent risk factors for stone recurrence by multivariate analysis., Conclusions: There are significant differences in the urinary calcium and citrate levels between children with solitary and recurrent calcium stone formation. This may allow identification of patients at risk for stone recurrence that may benefit from more aggressive dietary and/or pharmacologic intervention., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The combination of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole is often used to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections in children. The rationale for combining trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole is that they may act synergistically to increase antibacterial activity. However, approximately 3% of patients show allergic reactions to sulfamethoxazole, of which some are serious (liver failure and Stevens-Johnson syndrome). We determined whether adding sulfamethoxazole is necessary to increase in vitro antibacterial activity for pediatric urinary tract infection compared to that of trimethoprim alone., Materials and Methods: We prospectively identified 1,298 children with urinary tract infection (greater than 100,000 cfu/ml Escherichia coli) from a total of 4 American regions. In vitro susceptibility of bacterial isolates to sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was determined using disk diffusion. Ampicillin susceptibility was tested at 2 sites. At 1 site all uropathogens from consecutive urinary isolates were evaluated., Results: E. coli susceptibility to trimethoprim was 70%, comparable to the 70% of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (p = 0.9) and higher than the 56.9% of sulfamethoxazole (p <0.05). This susceptibility pattern was without regional differences. At 2 sites susceptibility to trimethoprim was significantly higher than to ampicillin. At 1 site the susceptibility of other uropathogens to trimethoprim and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was similar to that of E. coli., Conclusions: In children with urinary tract infection in vitro susceptibility to trimethoprim was comparable to that to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and significantly higher than to sulfamethoxazole. This finding was similar at all sites. Adding sulfamethoxazole appears unnecessary and may represent a risk to patients. Trimethoprim can be used as an alternative to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole based on in vitro antibacterial susceptibility. Routine trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole use for urinary tract infection should be carefully reevaluated., (Copyright (c) 2010 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid is an option for primary vesicoureteral reflux. Few groups have assessed the rate of urinary tract infection after dextranomer/hyaluronic acid injection. We reviewed our experience with dextranomer/hyaluronic acid injection, and determined the incidence of and risk factors for postoperative urinary tract infection., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed of all children with primary vesicoureteral reflux treated with dextranomer/hyaluronic acid from 2002 to 2007 at a single institution. Patient demographics and clinical outcomes were abstracted from the medical record. Risk factors for postoperative urinary tract infection, including female gender, preoperative vesicoureteral reflux grade, recurrent urinary tract infection, bladder dysfunction, nephropathy and persistent vesicoureteral reflux after surgery, were analyzed in a multivariate logistic regression model., Results: We treated 311 children, of whom 87% were female and 13% were male (464 renal units), during the study period. Mode of presentation was urinary tract infection in 85% of cases. Mean followup was 2.6 years. Postoperatively urinary tract infection developed in 40 patients (13%) and febrile urinary tract infection developed in 11 (3.5%). Of patients with urinary tract infection 26 had initially negative postoperative voiding cystourethrogram, of whom 16 underwent repeat voiding cystourethrogram and 9 showed recurrent vesicoureteral reflux. Five of these 9 patients had clinical pyelonephritis. Of assessed risk factors only preoperative recurrent urinary tract infection (OR 2.2, p = 0.03) and bladder dysfunction (OR 3.3, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of post-injection urinary tract infection., Conclusions: In our series urinary tract infection after dextranomer/hyaluronic acid injection was rare. Patients with recurrent urinary tract infections and bladder dysfunction preoperatively are at increased risk for urinary tract infection after treatment. Patients with febrile urinary tract infection after dextranomer/hyaluronic acid injection are at high risk for recurrent vesicoureteral reflux.

Purpose: In rare instances when native bladder tissue is either unsuitable or unavailable a continent neobladder may be an option for pediatric lower urinary tract reconstruction. We report our long-term outcomes and experience in this challenging patient population., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed of all patients who underwent creation of a neobladder at 2 pediatric institutions. Patient demographics, surgical details and clinical outcomes were abstracted from the medical records., Results: A total of 26 patients were identified with a median age of 8.9 years at surgery. Median followup was 8.0 years. Most procedures used a composite of gastric and ileal tissue. All patients were continent of urine and had a stable upper urinary tract. Median bladder capacity was 400 ml. Postoperative complications included reservoir stones (8 patients), febrile urinary tract infection (8), metabolic acidosis (6), small bowel obstruction (4), bladder perforation (4) and pelvic lymphocele (1). Five patients had difficulty with catheterization due to stomal stenosis. Gross hematuria with clots developed in 1 patient with anuria who had a gastroileal neobladder and was awaiting renal transplantation. No other patient with a gastric component had the hematuria-dysuria syndrome. Five patients had end stage renal disease and subsequently underwent successful renal transplantation. No upper urinary tract deterioration was observed, and no malignant transformation has occurred., Conclusions: Creation of a continent neobladder is a reconstruction option in children when bladder augmentation is not feasible. However, complication rates are not insignificant, underscoring the need for careful long-term followup.

The aim of this paper was to to provide the primary care practitioner with a review of genitourinary conditions in children requiring emergent urological referral. These conditions include the acute scrotum/testicular torsion, scrotal masses, penile abnormalities, urinary retention and bladder outlet obstruction, abdominal masses, acute urinary stones, urinary trauma, genital abnormalities, complex anomalies and acute abdomen in patients with previous continent reconstruction. The authors discussed the presenting signs and symptoms, proper initial diagnostic work-up and the usual therapeutic course of management after evaluation by the pediatric urologist.

Objectives: Severe bowel dysfunction often accompanies neurogenic bladder, and Malone antegrade continence enema procedures can lead to improvement in the quality of life for these patients. The most commonly reported complication has been stomal stenosis of the conduit. We report our experience with the use of the MIC-KEY gastrostomy button for the management of this complication., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 53 consecutive children who had undergone the Malone antegrade continence enema (ACE) procedure from 2000 to 2006 was performed. The records of patients with stomal complications were assessed for presentation, management, and outcomes., Results: We identified 20 patients (38%) with stomal stenosis. Stomal dilation and stenting alone was successful in 4 patients, and stomal revision was necessary in 16 (30%). Six children required placement of the MIC-KEY gastrostomy button into the ACE stoma for recurrent stomal stenosis (n = 5) or a buried stoma (n = 1). All patients were successfully treated with placement of a MIC-KEY button to continue their bowel irrigation. The size of the button was determined by the endoscopic assessment of the length and width of the ACE stoma and was custom made by the manufacturer. The average time that the button was in place was 26 months, and it was generally changed every 3 months., Conclusions: In the rare subset of patients with recurrent stomal stenosis or a buried stoma, the MIC-KEY gastrostomy button was found to be a practical and easy method for the management of these conditions and to preserve the ACE conduit.

Purpose: Obstructive uropathy secondary to posterior urethral valves is an important cause of end stage renal disease in children. Early diagnosis and intervention to decrease bladder pressure and stabilize the upper urinary tract are important to delay or prevent the progression of renal insufficiency. We analyzed the records of patients with posterior urethral valves to determine risk factors that might be predictive of ultimate renal failure., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed of children presenting to our institution with a diagnosis of posterior urethral valves from 1975 to 2005. Patient demographics, clinical background, laboratory and radiographic data, and renal outcomes were abstracted from the medical record. Potential risk factors were analyzed, such as high grade vesicoureteral reflux at diagnosis, nadir serum creatinine greater than 1.0 mg/dl, urinary tract infection and severe bladder dysfunction requiring clean intermittent catheterization. Risk factors were analyzed by univariate analysis with Fisher's exact test. Those achieving significance were placed in a multivariate logistic regression model and an OR was generated., Results: A total of 142 patients were identified, of whom half presented in the neonatal period. Of the patients 119 had sufficient records for evaluation and mean followup was 7.2 years. A total of 15 patients progressed to end stage renal disease. The mean interval from diagnosis to end stage renal disease was 8.1 years. Of these patients 93% initially presented with vesicoureteral reflux and 87% ultimately required clean intermittent catheterization. Increased nadir creatinine was seen in 80% of cases. Multivariate analysis revealed that increased nadir creatinine and bladder dysfunction were independent risk factors for end stage renal disease (OR 71 and 8.9, respectively). Vesicoureteral reflux was also associated with an increased risk of end stage renal disease (OR 2.0), although this was not statistically significant. Urinary tract infections were not associated with end stage renal disease., Conclusions: Patients with posterior urethral valves and severe bladder dysfunction in whom nadir creatinine remains increased are at risk for upper urinary tract deterioration, requiring renal replacement therapy. It is unclear whether high grade vesicoureteral reflux at diagnosis may also be a poor prognostic sign. Further analysis is necessary to evaluate the effects of early aggressive bladder management on renal outcomes.

Purpose: We have previously reported a high rate of urinary metabolic abnormalities in stone forming children compared to normal controls. At our institution a 24-hour urine evaluation is initiated after the first stone episode in children, to measure stone risk indices. The purpose of this study was to determine which children are at the greatest risk for recurrent stone formation., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess urinary metabolic profiles in children with urolithiasis. In all patients 24-hour urine collections were performed and evaluated elsewhere. Urine chemistry assessments such as calcium and citrate were adjusted for creatinine and weight. Calcium oxalate supersaturation was measured. Patients were stratified as solitary or recurrent stone formers based on review of the medical record. Univariate analysis between means was performed with a 2-tailed t test., Results: A total of 148 samples from 88 solitary stone formers and 84 samples from 51 recurrent stone formers were evaluated. Age and gender were well matched between the 2 groups. Timed urinary calcium levels referenced to creatinine and citrate were significantly higher in patients with recurrent stones. Supersaturation levels of calcium oxalate were higher in recurrent stone formers but did not reach statistical significance., Conclusions: There are significant differences in 24-hour urinary calcium levels between solitary and recurrent calcium stone forming children. A patient with increased urinary calcium indices on a 24-hour specimen may benefit from more aggressive initial dietary and pharmacological treatment to prevent stone recurrence.

Purpose: Although rarely indicated, surgical treatment of severe megaureter can pose a formidable technical challenge, especially in the small infant. We present our experience and outcomes with end cutaneous ureterostomy as a temporizing adjunct to future ureteral reimplantation., Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent end cutaneous ureterostomy between 1993 and 2005. Patient demographics, surgical details and outcomes were recorded., Results: A total of 29 patients (22 males, 7 females) underwent diversion of 34 renal units. Primary megaureter was diagnosed in 15 patients (17 renal units). Secondary megaureter was found in 10 patients (12 renal units). Postoperative megaureter was diagnosed in 4 patients (5 renal units). Mean patient age at time of diversion was 3.2 months for those with primary megaureter and 1.4 years overall. Bilateral diversion or diversion of a solitary functioning kidney was performed in 14 patients (48%), of whom 4 had renal insufficiency. Nine patients (31%) had a febrile urinary tract infection while awaiting undiversion, with no evidence of renal scarring on followup. Undiversion was performed in 12 patients (13 renal units) with primary megaureter at a mean age of 18 months. Overall, undiversion was performed in 21 patients (23 renal units), and ureteral tailoring was required in only 5 renal units (22%). Mean followup after undiversion was 4.2 years for primary megaureter and 3.9 years overall., Conclusions: End cutaneous ureterostomy is a safe and effective procedure to temporize massive hydronephrosis while awaiting definitive ureteral reimplantation.

Purpose: Little has been reported concerning the efficacy of endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid for the treatment of residual incontinence following bladder neck reconstruction. We present the experience of 2 institutions using endoscopic submucosal injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid to correct incontinence in patients who had previously undergone bladder neck reconstruction with or without concomitant enterocystoplasty., Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed with patient demographics, indications for treatment and outcomes recorded. All patients had adequate bladder capacity and compliance on maximized medical therapy before injection. Continence was defined as at least a 3-hour daytime dry interval, while improvement was defined as an increase in the daytime dry interval to at least 2 hours., Results: A total of 14 patients (10 females and 4 males) underwent 21 injections. At a median followup of 17 months 10 patients had successful results (6 continent, 4 improved)., Conclusions: Endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid to correct incontinence following bladder neck reconstruction appears safe and can increase the daytime dry interval in more than 70% of carefully selected patients. Continued followup is necessary to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this treatment.

Purpose: The efficacy of endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid to correct primary vesicoureteral reflux is well documented. We present experience at 2 institutions with endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux after failed ureteroneocystostomy., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the records of all patients who underwent endoscopic dextranomer/hyaluronic acid injection to correct vesicoureteral reflux following ureteral reimplantation between April 2002 and July 2005. De novo ipsilateral vesicoureteral reflux was noted after repair of primary nonrefluxing megaureters or renal transplantation and persistent vesicoureteral reflux was noted following attempted vesicoureteral reflux repair. Injection was performed using the standard technique if the ureteral orifice was easily accessible, and percutaneously if access was difficult., Results: Nine male and 9 female patients were identified. Median age was 1.9 years at reimplantation and 6.5 years at injection, and median followup was 19 months. Ten patients underwent extravesical detrusorrhaphy and 8 underwent cross-trigonal reimplantation. Six patients underwent reimplantation for primary megaureter repair and all had resolution of vesicoureteral reflux with injection. Of the 20 renal units 16 (80%) and 15 of 18 patients (83%) had complete resolution of vesicoureteral reflux after 1 injection. One patient had improvement in vesicoureteral reflux and 2 had no improvement. There were no complications resulting from injections., Conclusions: Endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux with dextranomer/hyaluronic acid following extravesical or cross-trigonal reimplantation is safe and efficacious, at least at short-term followup. Endoscopic injection should be considered first line treatment for this situation.

Purpose: Urinary stone disease is relatively rare in children and urinary metabolic evaluations have been the standard in our practice. We have previously reported a high rate of urinary metabolic abnormalities in stone forming children. We compared urinary chemistry values in normal and stone forming children., Material and Methods: A prospective study was performed to assess urinary metabolic profiles in children with no history or a family history of urinary calculi. The 24-hour urine collections were performed and evaluated at an outside central laboratory. Urine chemistry studies were adjusted for creatinine. The data were compared to those on a historical cohort of calcium stone forming children., Results: A total of 58 samples from normal children and 142 from stone forming children were evaluated. Mean age was 10 years in normal children and 12 years in stone forming children. of the normal and stone forming children 45% and 51%, respectively, were female. Supersaturation levels of calcium oxalate as well as calcium to creatinine levels were significantly higher in children with stones. No data confounding by age or sex was identified by stratification., Conclusions: There are significant differences in urinary metabolic evaluations between normal and stone forming children. This may allow more precise treatment to prevent recurrent stone episodes. We continue to perform metabolic evaluations in all children with documented urolithiasis.

Purpose of Review: Endoscopic evaluation and management of the diverse conditions involving the upper urinary tract using rigid or flexible endoscopes is now readily feasible and has been shown to be safe and efficacious even in the smallest children., Recent Findings: Reduction in the size of the endoscopes, improvements in electronic imaging systems, proliferation of ancillary equipment, and improvement in endourologic skills among pediatric urologists make endoscopic treatment of pediatric urolithiasis the treatment of choice. The safety and efficacy of holmium:YAG laser lithotripsy make it the intracorporeal lithotriptor of choice. Successful outcomes can be obtained for ureteral and renal calculi that are similar to the adult population. Endoscopic treatment can be effective in highly selected children with intraluminal ureteral obstruction in the hands of a very experienced endoscopic pediatric urologist. These conditions include renal hemangiomas or arteriovenous malformations, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, ureteral strictures, or ureteral polyps., Summary: Pediatric ureteroscopic procedures are similar to their adult counterparts, in that basic endoscopic principles should be observed. Nevertheless, children pose specific technical challenges that require planning before endoscopy and that affect the risks and outcomes of these procedures. Future improvements in ureteroscopy will rely on the continued application of the new technology.

Purpose: Recurrent urinary tract infections are common in complex pediatric urological cases, particularly those requiring clean intermittent catheterization. At our institution gentamicin bladder irrigations have been used for antimicrobial prophylaxis and to treat symptomatic bacteriuria, particularly when the infection does not involve the upper urinary tract. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of this therapy., Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed of all children treated with gentamicin bladder irrigations from 1999 to 2004. The dose was 14 mg gentamicin in 30 ml saline instilled via catheter once or twice daily. Serum creatinine and random gentamicin levels were obtained according to a protocol based on risk of gentamicin toxicity. Patient demographics, laboratory results and outcomes were abstracted from the medical records., Results: A total of 80 patients (38 males and 42 females) were identified. Median patient age was 10 years and median duration of treatment was 90 days. No patient had detectable serum gentamicin levels greater than 0.4 mg/dl. Small increases in serum creatinine were seen in 3 patients, all of whom had chronic renal insufficiency. A total of 21 patients (26%) had breakthrough UTIs, of which 5 (24%) were gentamicin resistant. No adverse events were documented., Conclusions: Gentamicin bladder irrigations are a helpful adjunct in the management of complex pediatric urological cases involving recurrent symptomatic bacteriuria. We no longer require intensive laboratory monitoring of low risk patients at our institution.

Purpose: Urinary stone disease is relatively rare in children but is often due to metabolic abnormalities. Urinary supersaturation (SS) indices have been suggested as more precise predictors of stone recurrence. We previously reported urinary metabolic evaluations in stone-forming children using adult references. We now assess normal SS values in children., Material and Methods: A prospective trial was performed to assess urinary metabolic profiles in children with no personal or family history of urinary calculi. The 24-hour urine collections were performed and evaluated at an outside central laboratory. Urine chemistries were adjusted for urine creatinine. Urine pH and SS for calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate and uric acid were also assessed. The data were compared to a cohort of normal adults., Results: A total of 168 samples from 168 adults (58% males) and 51 samples from 30 children (59% males) were evaluated. The mean age of the children was 8.8 years (range 5 to 18). Calcium oxalate SS was similar between children and adults, and urine pH was the major cause of differences seen in the calcium phosphate and uric acid SS indices. Children had a much higher excretion of calcium, oxalate and citrate when adjusted for creatinine., Conclusions: There are significant differences in the normal ranges of urine chemistries in children and adults. An understanding of normal supersaturation values may allow metabolic abnormalities in stone-forming children to be more precisely diagnosed and treated.

Purpose: Severe bowel dysfunction often accompanies neurogenic bladder, and Malone antegrade continence enema (MACE) procedures can lead to improvement in the quality of life of these patients. However, complications such as catheter false passage with subsequent intraperitoneal instillation of irrigation can lead to significant morbidity. We present our experience with the diagnosis and management of this condition., Materials and Methods: The records of all patients undergoing MACE procedures at pediatric institutions from 1989 to 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. The records of patients diagnosed with a perforation were assessed for presentation, initial imaging studies, management and outcomes., Results: Of 187 consecutive patients treated with MACE procedures we identified 6 females and 1 male (3.7%). Mean patient age at initial surgery was 11.3 years. Of the 7 patients presented within 3 months of the initial surgery, 6 presented with abdominal pain after irrigation and 4 reported traumatic catheterization. Six patients had extravasation of contrast material on imaging studies. Two patients presented with peritonitis and underwent immediate laparotomy. In 5 patients endoscopy was performed with catheter placement which was then maintained for 6 weeks. After a mean followup of 4.7 years 4 patients have complete continence, 2 have a MACE button in place and 1 has mild fecal leakage., Conclusions: MACE procedures have a low incidence of conduit false passage and perforation. Prompt diagnosis and early intervention are crucial to management. Endoscopic evaluation with catheter placement can be helpful in preserving continence and decreasing morbidity.

Purpose: We present our experience performing ureteroscopy in prepubertal children., Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of children 12 years or younger who underwent ureteroscopy at 2 institutions between 1993 and 2003. Patient demographics, indications for surgery, operative technique, surgical outcomes and complications were recorded., Results: A total of 39 boys and 32 girls underwent 34 flexible and 47 rigid ureteroscopies. Retrograde access was obtained in 77 procedures, while 4 were performed via an antegrade approach. Mean age was 7.5 years (range 1 to 12) and mean followup was 2.2 years (0.5 to 10). Endoscopic lithotripsy was performed in 65 cases, with a success rate of 98%. A ureteral stent was placed postoperatively in 55 patients. Endoscopic incision was performed for a ureteral stricture in 3 patients and for ureteropelvic junction obstruction in 6. An obstructing fibroepithelial polyp was found in 2 patients, 1 underwent removal of a foreign body and 4 did not have intraluminal pathology. Dilation of the ureteral orifice was required in 23 cases (30%). There were no intraoperative ureteral injuries. One patient had development of a ureteral stricture (complication rate 1.3%) that was successfully treated endoscopically., Conclusions: Rigid and flexible ureteroscopy can be performed safely and effectively in prepubertal children. Successful outcomes can be obtained for calculi that are similar to those in the adult population. Ureteroscopic treatment can be effective in selected children with intraluminal obstruction. To our knowledge this is the largest series in the literature to document outcomes of ureteroscopy in this age group.

Objectives: To present our results of the past 3 years using a mobile lithotripter in a pediatric institution. The low incidence of pediatric urinary calculi, along with the high cost of lithotripsy units, has limited the use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in pediatric institutions., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed of all children who had undergone extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy at two institutions from 1999 to 2003. All patients were treated with a Dornier Compact Delta mobile lithotriptor with a universal urologic table., Results: A total of 88 patients (38 males and 50 females) underwent a total of 119 outpatient treatments. The mean patient age was 12 years, and the mean follow-up was 20 months. The mean stone size was 6 mm. An average of 1600 shocks per procedure was performed. Overall, 68% were stone free after one treatment, and 74% were stone free after one or two treatments. Of the patients with a solitary stone, 72% were stone free after one treatment and 78% were after one or two treatments. Fifteen patients had multiple stones treated simultaneously on the same side. Of these, 47% were stone free after one treatment and 53% after one or two treatments. Two patients subsequently required ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy for obstructing ureteral calculi., Conclusions: The results of our study have shown that the new-generation mobile lithotripter is safe and effective in treating pediatric nephrolithiasis. The success rate was greater for solitary stones than for multiple stones treated at the same setting. Additional endoscopic procedures can be performed simultaneously on the same table.

Purpose: Lower urinary tract reconstruction is an essential tool in the management of severely dysfunctional bladders in children. The incidence of calculi in augmented bladders has been reported in up to 50% of cases. We analyzed our experience with stone formation in this population to assess risk factors and outcomes., Material and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients who underwent bladder augmentation from 1988 to 2002 at our institution. Patient demographics, risk factors and management were abstracted from the medical record., Results: A total of 105 patients (58 males and 47 females) were identified. Ileum, colon and stomach were used in 37, 18 and 50 patients, respectively. Median age was 8.0 years. Median followup was 8.4 years. A total of 12 patients (11%) were found to have bladder calculi. Ten patients with ileum (27%), 1 with colon (6%) and 1 with stomach (2%) formed stones. All patients had recurrent urinary tract infections. Nine patients were successfully treated with an endoscopic procedure. Four patients (33%) formed recurrent stones despite saline bladder irrigations. One patient had multiple recurrences but is now stone-free on a daily regimen of 20% urea instillation., Conclusions: Augmentation cystoplasty carries an overall low risk of bladder calculi. Gastrocystoplasty had a significantly lower rate of stone formation than augmentation with ileum and colon. Urinary tract infection is an independent risk factor for stone formation. Endoscopic management is safe and effective in the majority of patients and it may be facilitated by a percutaneous access. Recurrent stones form in some patients despite aggressive medical management.

Purpose: Extravesical ureteroneocystostomy is an accepted technique for the surgical treatment of vesicoureteral reflux. However, many surgeons continue to use an intravesical technique when extensive ureteral tailoring is required in the case of primary megaureter. We present our experience and outcomes with these techniques., Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed of all patients who underwent tapered ureteral reimplantation between 1990 and 2002. Patient demographics, surgical technique and outcomes were recorded. Patients with ureteral dilatation secondary to bladder or urethral pathology were excluded from study. A successful postoperative outcome was defined as improved hydronephrosis and no vesicoureteral reflux., Results: A total of 53 patients with 65 megaureters were identified. Mean patient age at surgery was 4.9 years and mean followup was 3.8 years. Primary obstructive megaureter was present in 31 renal units, while refluxing megaureter was present in 34. An excisional tapering technique was performed in all cases. An extravesical reimplantation was performed in 29 renal units and an intravesical reimplantation in 36. The success rate was 86% for intravesical and 76% for extravesical reimplantation. The success rate was 90% for obstructive megaureters and 74% for refluxing megaureters. Success rate for patients with voiding dysfunction was 93% with an intravesical approach but only 50% with an extravesical approach., Conclusions: Extensive ureteral tailoring with an extravesical ureteral reimplantation may be performed safely and effectively for primary obstructive megaureter. Patients with voiding dysfunction or preoperative vesicoureteral reflux may benefit from an intravesical ureteral reimplantation.

Purpose: The treatment of children with posterior urethral valve (PUV) and end-stage renal disease can be challenging. Some series have had poor outcomes after renal transplantation with an increased risk of graft dysfunction and urinary tract infections. We present our experience with a pediatric population and compare it to all the other pediatric renal transplants done at our institution., Materials and Methods: We identified 10 patients with PUV who underwent a total of 13 renal transplants between 1990 and 2000. The comparison group included 120 transplants done in 95 patients during the same period. Cumulative allograft survival and function were recorded., Results: Overall patient survival in the PUV group was 100%. Mean age at transplant in the PUV group was 10.0 years and mean followup was 3.9 years. Six patients underwent high proximal urinary tract diversion, while the remainder had primary transurethral valve ablation. Three patients had bladder augmentation before transplantation. Cumulative allograft survival in the PUV group at 1 and 5 years was 85% and 64%, respectively. Of the 10 patients 9 currently have functioning living related donor transplants. One patient lost 3 cadaveric donor transplants to chronic rejection. No patients lost grafts due to infection or bladder dysfunction. Mean serum creatinine of the functioning grafts was 1.1 mg/dl., Conclusions: Renal transplantation can be performed safely and effectively in patients with PUV, including those who have undergone previous proximal urinary tract diversion. Preoperative bladder management and continued monitoring of bladder and kidney function postoperatively are paramount in the preservation of allograft function.

Purpose: The use of stomach has become controversial in pediatric lower urinary tract reconstruction. Recent series have reported a high incidence of hematuria-dysuria syndrome and metabolic abnormalities, which has prompted a significant decrease in its use at our institution during the last 5 years., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children who underwent urinary reconstruction with gastrocystoplasty. Patients were excluded from consideration if they had less than 5 years of followup., Results: From 1989 to 1997, 18 males and 26 females were identified. Median patient age at time of reconstruction was 4.5 years and median followup was 9.8 years. Urinary continence was present in 89% of cases, and upper tract dilatation was stable or improved in 91%. No patient had chronic metabolic alkalosis. Major surgery was required for complications of the gastrocystoplasty in 6 cases, including patch contraction and ureteral obstruction necessitating excision in 1. Two patients had severe hematuria while anuric from renal failure which was managed conservatively with bladder cycling and H2 blockers. Symptoms resolved completely after renal transplantation in both cases. Febrile urinary tract infection occurred in 20% of cases and asymptomatic bacteriuria was present in 36%., Conclusions: The use of stomach segments in pediatric urinary reconstruction can be beneficial in patients with chronic renal insufficiency, metabolic acidosis or short gut syndrome. Despite negative reports concerning serious complications of gastrocystoplasty, our long-term data confirm that it remains an important option in our reconstruction armamentarium.