Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The urinary fistula rates following kidney transplantation are varying in each center, which lack of unified classification criteria and treatment standard.
OBJECTIVE: To explore optimal treatments for urinary fistula following kidney transplantation by retrospective analyzing the characteristics, etiological factors and therapeutic efficacy of urinary fistula.
METHODS: Totally 68 patients with urinary fistula were collected, including 42 males and 26 females, aged 21-57 years. The urinary fistula occurred at days 1-17 after operation. According to the location of urinary fistula, patients were divided into stomas fistula and ureter fistula groups. The location of fistula was determined by cystography, magnetic resonance hydrography (MRH) or operation research. In both groups, conservative treatment was first adopted, namely, placing a negative pressure drainage tube draining the wounds and placing a double-J catheter or a urinary canal in, however, if invalid, a surgical repair was performed. There were 45 patients underwent surgery. The location, onset period, therapeutic efficacies of urinary fistula was analyzed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Among the 68 cases of fistula, 20(29.4%) were stomas fistula and 48 (70.6%) were ureter fistula. The onset period was (5.1±2.5) and (8.8±5.5) days after transplantation, respectively (P < 0.05). Fifteen of 20 stomas fistula (75.0%) were cured successfully by conservative treatment. Whereas, for the remaining 5 cases (25.0%), we attempted open surgery, among which 4 were cured, free of recurrence, and 1 case underwent nephrectomy because of acute rejection. For the 48 cases of ureter fisula, only 8 (16.7%) were cured by conservative treatment, but the other 40 (83.3%) must accept further open surgery, among which 35 were cured (including 6 cases of recurrent fistula). Three cases underwent nephrectomy failure of repair owing to acute rejection, besides 2 died of pulmonary infection. The achievement ratio of conservative treatment in lower fistulae was significantly higher than that of upper fistulae (P < 0.01). It is necessary to determine the location of urinary fistula following kidney transplantation. Compared to ureter fistula, stomas fistula occurred earlier with great leaked volume. Conservative treatment can first selected for stomas fistula, only if it is invalid can we resort to open surgery. However, for ureter fistula, it is wise to adopt open surgery as soon as possible.