Laparoscopic and robotic ureteroplasty using onlay flap or graft for the management of long proximal or middle ureteral strictures: our experience and strategy

Purpose To present our experience of laparoscopic and robotic ureteroplasty using onlay flap or graft for the management of long proximal or middle ureteral strictures and summarize our treatment strategies for these challenging scenarios. Methods From March 2018 to January 2020, 53 patients with long proximal/middle ureteral strictures (2–6 cm) who underwent laparoscopic or robotic onlay flap/graft ureteroplasty were retrospectively enrolled. Different reconstruction techniques were chosen based on our management strategy: pelvic flap (PF) was the first choice for proximal stricture if pelvic tissue was sufficient for repair, while appendiceal flap (AF) was preferred over oral mucosa graft for both proximal and middle strictures. Results A total of 28 PFs, 9 AFs and 16 lingual mucosa grafts (LMGs) onlay ureteroplasty were performed successfully, with 33 laparoscopic procedures and 20 robotic procedures being undertaken. No intraoperative complications or conversion occurred. The median stricture length was 4 cm (range 2–6 cm). Compared with laparoscopic procedures, robotic procedures showed significantly shorter operative time ( P = 0.008), shorter postoperative hospital stay ( P = 0.011) but higher hospital cost ( P