Tubular vesicopyelostomy for the management of types 2 and 3 (long-segment) ureteric stenosis after kidney transplantation.

Late ureteral stenosis following kidney transplantation needs immediate correction in order to protect allograft function and requires a complicated surgical procedure. In this study, we present the long-term results of tubular bladder reconfiguration and cystopyelostomy (tubular vesicopyelostomy), an innovative and practical procedure for the management of long-segment ureteric stenosis (types 2 and 3) after transplantation. Between 2002 and 2017, 722 kidney transplant patients were monitored at the University of Medical Sciences, Bozyaka Organ Transplantation and Research Center. Twenty-eight of these patients underwent tubular vesicopyelostomy operation; 17 male and 11 female patients with a mean age of 45.6 ± 10.5 years. Time to surgical intervention for urinary tract obstruction was 122.5 ± 114.7 months. The mean serum creatinine values previous to and 3 days following the tubular vesicopyelostomy operation were 3.46 ± 1.5 mg/dL and 1.75 ± 0.7 mg/dL, respectively (p < 0.0001). Within a mean follow-up period of 55.1 ± 40.9 months, functional grafts were recorded in 22 patients with a mean serum creatinine value of 1.92 ± 0.8 mg/dL. Only one patient developed anastomotic stenosis after the tubular vesicopyelostomy procedure, giving an overall success rate for tubular vesicopyelostomy of 96.4%. Six patients returned to hemodialysis. In five, the underlying etiology was not related to recurrent obstruction or surgical complications. Sixteen patients underwent allograft biopsy after the operation, but features of tubulointerstitial nephritis were seen in only one. Tubular vesicopyelostomy operation is a safe and successful method for the surgical treatment of late and complicated ureteral obstructions with excellent long-term results. It may be a good, practical alternative to other more sophisticated surgical options.

Evaluation of Indication Biopsies ≥5 Years After Kidney Transplant: A Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Rejection is a common cause of late graft dysfunction seen on biopsy studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate indication biopsy findings ? 5 years after kidney transplant and to assess the effectiveness of applied treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2013 and December 2015, 30 patients who underwent renal transplant indication biopsies and were followed up for ≥ 6 months were evaluated retrospectively. A >30% increase in serum creatinine and/or development of > 1 g/day proteinuria was considered an acceptable indication for biopsy. RESULTS: Of the 156 indication biopsies obtained within a 3-year period, 30 of them were indication biopsies performed ≥ 5 years after transplant. Twenty patients (67%) demonstrated late graft rejection, 6 patients (20%) had recurrent or de novo glomerulonephritis, and 4 patients (13%) were diagnosed with idiopathic chronic allograft nephropathy. The mean total histologic score was 6.2 ± 2.6, and the chronicity rate was 70%. For patients with late rejection, treatment consisted of pulse steroids in 11, intravenous immunoglobulin in 5, plasmapheresis in 4, antithymocyte globulin in 3, and rituximab in 2 cases. Five patients with glomerulonephritis received pulse steroids, 1 received rituximab therapy, and 3 were treated with cyclophosphamide. The mean follow-up after indication biopsy was 16 ± 11 months. Eleven patients (37%) had a progressive disease course and 7 patients (23%) resumed hemodialysis. Of the 30 patients, the 15 whose glomerular filtration rate was < 30 mL/min/1.72 m² at biopsy were more likely to have a progressive disease course (53% vs. 20%; P = .05) and more commonly resumed dialysis (40% vs. 7%; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Rejection was the most common cause of graft dysfunction long term. Chronic histologic changes predominated in indication biopsies ≥ 5 years posttransplant. Regardless of diagnosis, a low glomerular filtration rate at biopsy was closely associated with poor renal outcomes.