The ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
Organs of the Urinary Tract
Most injuries to the ureter occur during pelvic or abdominal operations, such as removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) or the colon (colectomy), cesarean delivery, or repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, or during ureteroscopy (an examination of the ureter with a rigid or flexible viewing tube). Another rare cause of ureteral injury is penetration by either a gunshot or stab wound. Rarely, blunt injuries, particularly those that cause the trunk to bend backward, can separate the upper part of the ureter from the kidney; such injuries are more common in children and young adolescents.
Complications
Symptoms of Ureteral Injuries
Diagnosis of Ureteral Injuries
Because ureteral injury is rarely the most likely cause of such symptoms, an injury to the ureter may not be recognized promptly. Usually, doctors suspect an injury when a person who has symptoms has had a recent surgical procedure or when a person has a wound that has penetrated the abdomen.
When a ureteral injury is suspected, imaging tests are needed. The initial test is often computed tomography (CT) with radiopaque contrast agent. Sometimes, retrograde urography (an x-ray taken after a radiopaque contrast agent is instilled directly into the end of the ureter) is done, usually during cystoscopy (passing a flexible viewing tube through the urethra into the bladder). Sometimes, ureteral injuries are identified during surgery.
Treatment of Ureteral Injuries
Some minor ureteral injuries can be treated by placing a flexible tube (stent) in the ureter either through the bladder or through the kidney via a needle inserted into the person's side (percutaneous nephrostomy). These treatments divert urine from flowing through the ureter and are usually left in place for 2 to 6 weeks, allowing the ureter to heal. If the ureteral injury does not heal despite the use of a stent, additional surgery may be needed. In people with more severe injuries, surgery may be required to reconstruct the ureter.
Treatment helps to prevent complications of ureteral injuries. If complications occur despite efforts to prevent them, they must be treated.
