Percutaneous balloon dilatation for the treatment of early and late ureteral strictures after renal transplantation: Long-term follow-up

We report our experience with percutaneous balloon dilatation (PBD) for the treatment of ureteral strictures in patients with renal allografts. Of the 422 consecutive patients after renal transplantation in our center 10 patients had ureteral strictures. An additional 11 patients were referred from other centers. The 21 patients included 15 men and 6 women aged 16 to 67 years. Strictures were confirmed by sonography and scintigraphy in all cases. Patients underwent 2 to 4 PBDs at 7-10-day intervals. Clinical success was defined as resolution of the stenosis and hydronephrosis on sequential ultrasound and normalization of creatinine levels. Patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent transplantation more than 3 months previously and those who underwent transplantation less than 3 months previously. PBD was successful in 13 of the 21 patients (62%). There was no statistically significant difference in success rate between the patients with early (n = 12) and those with late (n = 9) obstruction: 58.4% and 66%, respectively. No major complications were documented. PBD is a safe and simple tool for treating ureteral strictures and procedure-related morbidity is low. It can serve as an initial treatment in patients with early or late ureteral strictures after renal transplantation.