title: Outcomes of Percutaneous Management of Anastomotic Ureteral Strictures in Renal Transplantation: Chronic Nephroureteral Stent Placement with and without Balloon Dilatation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed o evaluate outcomes of percutaneous management of anastomotic ureteral strictures in renal transplants using nephroureteral stents with or without balloon dilatation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective audit of 1,029 consecutive renal transplants was performed. Anastomotic ureteral strictures were divided into two groups: nephroureteral stent only (NUS) and NUS+PTA (nephroureteral stent plus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty), with each cohort subdivided into early versus late presentation (obstructive uropathy occurring <90 day or >90 days from transplant, respectively). Overall and 6-month technical success were defined as removal of NUS any time with <30 % residual stenosis (any time lapse less or more than 6 months) and at >6 months, respectively. Patency was evaluated from NUS removal to last follow-up for both groups and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-seven transplant patients with 70 ureteric anastomotic strictures (6.8 %, n = 70/1,029) underwent 72 percutaneous treatments. 34 % were late (>90 days, n = 24/70), and 66 % were early (<90 days, n = 46/70). Overall technical success was 82 % (n = 59/72) and 6-month success was 58 % (n = 42/72). Major and minor complications were 2.8 % (n = 2/72), and 12.5 % (n = 9/72). NUS+PTA did not improve graft survival (p = 0.354) or patency (p = 0.9) compared with NUS alone. There was no difference in graft survival between treated and nontreated groups (p = 0.74).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no advantage to PTA in addition to placement of NUS, although PTA did not negatively impact graft survival or long-term patency and both interventions were safe and effective. Neither the late or early groups benefited from PTA in addition to NUS. Earlier obstructions showed greater improvement in serum creatinine than later obstructions.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia/Interventional Radiology, FedEx: 1215 Lee Street, PO Box 800170, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA, andreuflacker@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uflacker
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sheeran
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khaja
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patrie
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Saad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014513:Ureter / Q000601:surgery; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000628:therapy*; D014654:Vascular Patency; D055815:Young Adult