Intraoperative ultrasound-assisted endoscopic treatment of primary intermediate and high-grade vesicoureteral reflux in children in a long-term follow-up

Endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is an important minimally invasive surgical approach in patients undergoing surgical treatment of VUR. In our past experience, we observed that a bulking agent mound sagittal diameter of 10 mm is the main predictor of effectiveness of the procedure. Moreover we noticed that the use of intraoperative ultrasound, allows the surgeon to better identify the site, volume and shape of the bulking agent injected, finally reducing operative time. We aimed to evaluate if the intraoperative ultrasound assistance could definitively improve effectiveness of the endoscopic procedure. We retrospectively compared two series treated with endoscopic procedures for intermediate and high grade primary VUR, respectively without (series A) and with (series B) intraoperative ultrasound (IO-US). In all patients VCUG was performed to assess VUR grade and to verify resolution or VUR downgrading during the follow-up. A total of 177 ureteric units were treated. Endoscopic procedures globally were effective in 68/96 ureters (70.8 %) in series A and in 68/81 ureters (83.9 %) in series B. No significant differences in effectiveness were observed comparing the series with regard to VUR grades, but a significant difference is shown (p