Is JJ Ureteral Stenting Inferior to Percutaneous Nephrostomy as a Drainage Method in Emphysematous Pyelonephritis?

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of JJ stenting in comparison with percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) as a drainage method in patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively identified patients with EPN between January 2000 and January 2021. Platelet-to-leukocytic ratio (PLR) at the time of hospital admission and discharge, time taken to clear air locules and to normalize leukocytic count, and air locule volume in mm³ were identified. Renal drainage by either PCN or JJ stent was required if symptoms persist for ≥3 days or in obstructed renal units. Failure of drainage method was defined as conversion to another method of drainage, need for intensive care unit admission, salvage nephrectomy, and mortality. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Twenty-nine patients were managed by JJ stent. Treatment success was identified in 20 patients and 19 patients who were managed by PCN and JJ stent, respectively. Higher air locule volume ≥16.7 mm³ and lower PLR ≤18.4 increased the risk of drainage failure (<i>p</i> = 0.009 and 0.001, respectively). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Ureteral JJ stenting is an effective method for EPN drainage with a comparable overall success to the PCN use. Higher air locule volume and lower PLR increased the risk of drainage failure.

Comparison of Conservative and Surgical Treatments in Symptomatic Pregnancy Hydronephrosis

<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> This study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting the treatment choice in pregnant women with symptomatic hydronephrosis. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Hospital records of pregnant women who visited our clinic due to symptomatic hydronephrosis between December 2010 and December 2020 were analysed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 2 groups: conservative and surgical (JJ stent) treatment groups. Age, gestational week, primipara, trimester, visual analogue scale (VAS), and preterm birth rates as well as clinical, laboratory, and ultrasonography findings were compared between the groups. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The study included 227 pregnant women (conservative treatment group, 133; JJ stent group, 94). Age, gestational week, primipara, trimester, hydronephrosis side, fever, pyelonephritis, pyuria, preterm labour and abortion, as well as blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, C-reactive protein, and white blood cell levels did not differ significantly between the groups (<i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). In the JJ stent group, VAS, creatinine value, culture positivity rate, degree of hydronephrosis, and renal pelvis anterior-posterior (AP) diameter were significantly higher than those in the conservative treatment group (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). The cut-off value for renal pelvis AP diameter was 16.5 mm in the first 2 trimesters and 27.5 mm in the third trimester. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Surgical treatment should not be delayed in pregnant women who do not respond to conservative treatment and have impaired renal function and grade 3–4 hydronephrosis. Early surgical intervention is necessary in patients with a renal pelvis AP diameter of &#x3e;16.5 mm in the first 2 trimesters and &#x3e;27.5 in the third trimester.

A modern view on tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Urolithiasis ranks second among urological diseases, after inflammatory processes, and first among surgical interventions in urological hospitals. The problem of this disease treatment is a long-term rehabilitation and disablement, which entails a significant increase in costs and requires changes in the tactics of treatment of patients. Since its introduction until today, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the standard treatment for nephrolithiasis with a stone size of more than 1.5–2.0 cm. In its standard version, PCNL ends with the placement of nephrostomy catheter through the formed parenchymal channel, but there are techniques of the surgery completion either without nephrostomy catheter with a JJ stent – tubeless PCNL, or without nephrostomy and JJ stent at all – totally tubeless PCNL. However, nowadays, the use of tubeless and totally tubeless techniques is one of the most controversial topics in percutaneous nephrolithotomy in terms of safety and efficacy in their application. Aim. To analyze the results and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy by means of tubeless and totally tubeless techniques based on scientific evidence. Analysis of the scientific literature shows that tubeless and totally tubeless PCNL techniques are a safe method of percutaneous surgery and their application reduces pain and analgesic requirements in the postoperative period, shortens the length of postoperative hospital stay, and enhances recovery after surgery in patients, therefore resulting in cost-saving treatment. Conclusions. Tubeless and totally tubeless PCNLs are recommended for widespread use in urological practice, but it is worth to mention that these techniques should be performed in selected patients and by an operating surgeon with significant experience in percutaneous surgery.

The Role of Antegrade Ureterolithotripsy in the Treatment of Large Impacted Proximal Ureteral Stones

The objective: optimization of approaches to the choice of endoscopic ureterolithorpsy method in the presence of large stones of the proximal ureter. Materials and methods. For the period 2017–2020 y. the study included 136 patients with large stones of the proximal ureter, who were performed one of two methods of ureterolithotripsy: rULT (group I) or m-aULT (group II). In group I 73 (53,7%) patients were operated, in group II – 63 (46,3%) patients. The age of patients ranged from 18 to 81 years, the average age was 52,7 years (54±10,5). The age of patients in group II ranged from 25 to 77 (63±10,5) years; the size of a concrement from 10 to 20 (14±3,5 mm). In group I, the age of patients ranged from 18 to 91 (63,5±10 years); the size of a concrement from 7 to 20 (12±5,5 mm). Results. The average time of m-AULT was 58,5±15,4 min, while the status of stone free was achieved in all 100% of patients. The operation ended with the installation of nephrostomy drainage in 11 (17,5%) cases, nephrostomy drainage and internal ureteral JJ-stent – in 33 (52,4%), in 19 (30,2%) cases – tubeless drainage method with the installation of ureteral stent. And the total percentage of stenting in staghorn stones of the proximal ureter, after lithotripsy and litholapaxy was 82,6% (52 patients). RULT surgery in 92% (67 patients) of cases ended with drainage of the kidney by JJ-stent, in 6 (8%) patients the operation ended without drainage. Conclusions. Analyzing the results, it was noted that the antegrade approach is a safe and effective method of treatment for proximal ureterolithiasis in the group with large stones of the proximal ureter, where the effectiveness of RULT (SFR up to 86,3±3,9%) is significantly inferior to AULT, and minimizing the size of instruments m-aULT) reduces the number and degree of complications associated with the size of the coiled tract, while providing a high level of SFR (96,8±4,4%).

Time dependant functional and morphological recovery of the kidney after relief of obstruction in patients with impacted ureteral stones

Objectives: To assess the course of functional and morphological recovery of the kidney following the relief of obstruction with ureteral JJ stent in cases with unilateral impacted stones. Materials and methods: A total of 42 adult patients who were admitted to our clinic with unilateral obstructing impacted ureteral stones requiring JJ stent placement were included in the study. The course of functional recovery was assessed by evaluating the serum creatinine levels, renal resistive index (RRI) values and urinary levels of kidney injury molecule-1, neutrophil gelatinaseassociated lipocalin as well as microalbumin before at 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks after JJ stent placement. Course of morphologic recovery was evaluated by evaluating the degree of hydronephrosis, kidney size, perirenal straining and ureteral diameter. Results: Our results showed that all relevant parameters began to decrease after 24 hours and continue to normalize during 1 week evaluation; majority of these variables indicating the functional and morphological recovery were in normal range after 4 weeks. Decompression of the obstructed kidneys with JJ stent placement in patients with impacted ureteral stones was found to be effective enough with recovery of normal renal functional and morphological status after a minimum time period of 4 weeks. Morphological recovery of affected kidneys following JJ stenting was obtained with a significant difference between baseline and 1-month evaluation findings (p = 0.001, p < 001, p < 001, respectively). KIM-1 excretion began to decline to normal levels after 4 weeks (3.52 ± 0.99 ng/ml versus 2.84 ± 0.66 ng/ml, p < 0.001). The same findings were observed for the urinary excretion levels of NGAL, which normalized at the 1-month evaluation (604.55 ± 140.28 ng/ml versus 596.87 ± 80.17 ng/ml p = 0.895). Urinary microalbumin excretion levels however remained high even until 1-month follow-up with a statistically significant difference when compared with the normal excretion values (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in RRI values between baseline and 1-month follow-up findings in obstructed kidney (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Elective management of the obstructing impacted ureteral stone(s) will be safer with limited risk of infective complications after functional and morphological normalization in such kidneys following 4 weeks of JJ stent placement.

Obstructive uropathy secondary to a ureteral paraperitoneal inguinoscrotal hernia in a patient with a pelvic ectopic solitary kidney and malrotation: a case report and review of the literature

Background Ureteral inguinoscrotal hernias (UISH) are rare, associated in some cases with congenital abnormalities of the urinary tract. Their presentation is commonly asymptomatic, and diagnosis is mostly incidental. Case presentation A 65-year-old male patient presented to the emergency room with neurologic symptoms and an altered renal function. Further investigation revealed a ureteral paraperitoneal inguinoscrotal hernia with a pelvic ectopic solitary kidney and malrotation. Three days after hernia repair and placement of a ureteral JJ stent, the creatinine levels stabilized, and the patient was discharged. Conclusion This is the first reported case of a ureteral paraperitoneal inguinoscrotal hernia in a patient with a pelvic ectopic solitary kidney and malrotation. Currently, it is also the only case reported that has been managed by laparoscopy.

Study of risk factors for urinary colonization in patients with the double J catheter

Background The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of urinary colonization in patients with the JJ stent and to define the predictive factors associated with this colonization. Methods This is a monocentric prospective study (between January 2013 and April 2017), conducted in the department of Urology B of Ibn Sina Hospital in Rabat. One hundred and forty-five double ureteral stents carried by 120 patients, 25 of which had bilateral double ureteral stent, were examined. The bacteriological profile of the urine of our patients was followed by the completion of an initial urine examination and another at the time of the removal of the JJ. The comparison of the means was made by the Student's test and the Mann–Whitney test for continuous variables and by the KHI-2 test and Fisher's test for qualitative variables. The threshold of significance is set at 0.05. Results The rate of colonization of JJ stent was 35.8% (43 out of 120). The urinary colonization rate was 31.7% (38 out of 120). Average time of indwelling of JJ stent was 90 days. On double ureteral stent culture, we identified Escherichia Coli as the most predominant colonizing pathogen (47.3% of probes) followed by Enterococcus faecalis and Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.4% and 15.8%, respectively). 11.5% of colonized patients developed infectious complications (5 out of 43) and have been treated successfully except a patient who died from septic shock. In univariate analysis, diabetes mellitus (p = 0.007, OR = 4.1, CI = 1.46–11.48), urgent establishment of JJ (p = 0.03, OR = 4.61; IC = 1.08–19.6) and time of indwelling of the JJ (p = 0.05, OR = 1.89, CI = 0.95–3.77) were the predictive factors for urinary colonization in patients with JJ. In multivariate analysis, these three factors were statistically associated with this risk: diabetes mellitus (p = 0.005, OR = 0.23, CI = 0.08–0.64), the urgent establishment of JJ (p = 0.05, OR = 0.26, CI = 0, 06–1.04) and time of indwelling of the JJ more than 30 days (p = 0.007, OR = 4.29, CI = 1.49–12.37). Conclusion The prevalence of urinary colonization in patients with the double J stent was 31.7%. Diabetes mellitus, time of indwelling of the JJ more than 30 days and urgent JJ ​​ establishment are associated with a higher risk of these urinary colonizations. Strict monitoring is therefore recommended in patients with these risk factors. These results should be confirmed by multicenter and randomized studies to analyze the development of urinary tract infections in colonized patients.

Efficacy of Alpha Blockers in Relieving Symptoms of JJ Stent

Introduction: JJ stenting has been routinely used in endourology with a wide variety of implications. These stents have beneficial effects in postoperative period improving surgical outcome. Though they are widely used in urology practice, JJ stents cause lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in majority of patients.

Efficacy of Alpha Blockers in Relieving Symptoms of JJ Stent

Introduction: JJ stenting has been routinely used in endourology with a wide variety of implications. These stents have beneficial effects in postoperative period improving surgical outcome. Though they are widely used in urology practice, JJ stents cause lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in majority of patients.