Early experience with the laparoscopic boari flap at a single institution.
OBJECTIVE
We present our initial experience with the laparoscopic Boari flap for long ureteral strictures.


METHODS
Nine patients underwent a laparoscopic Boari flap procedure at our institution. Eight patients had 4 to 7 cm distal ureteral strictures on excretory urogram and retrograde pyelogram, and 1 had transitional cell carcinoma in the distal right ureter. We analyzed our intraoperative parameters with regard to operative time and intraoperative complications. The operative results assessed were hospital stay, renal function, symptomatic improvement and radiological studies. The patient with ureteral transitional cell carcinoma was excluded from analysis because ureteral stricture etiology differed from that in the other 8.


RESULTS
Mean operative time was 156.6 minutes. Mean estimated blood loss was 124 cc. There were no intraoperative complications. Mean hospital stay was 3 days. At a mean followup of 17.6 months all patients were symptom-free and had an unobstructed ureterovesical anastomosis on followup excretory urogram. One surgical postoperative complication resolved laparoscopically.


CONCLUSIONS
The laparoscopic Boari flap is a feasible alternative surgical technique in patients with long distal ureteral strictures. Larger series with longer followup are needed to validate these results vs the standard open technique.
Castillo
Octavio A
OA
Section of Urology, Clinica Santa Maria and Department of Urology, Facultad de Medicina Oriente, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Litvak
Juan P
JP
Kerkebe
Marcelo
M
Olivares
Ruben
R
Urena
Ruben D
RD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000601:surgery*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*