Robotic surgery for ureteropelvic junction obstruction and urolithiasis

Open pyeloplasty has been the first-line treatment for uretero-pelvic junction obstruction for decades. In the last years, minimally-invasive surgery (MIS) has gained popularity in the pediatrics field. Furthermore, recently, a great extension of Robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) has been seen in younger and lighter-weight children as well as in redo cases. Herein we provided a comprehensive review of primary and redo RALP performed in children, particularly focusing on the different distribution of outcomes among the ages.

Open pyeloplasty (OP) has been the first-line treatment for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) since it was first described by Anderson and Hynes. The use of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to treat UPJO in the pediatric population has increased in recent years, due to decreased morbidity and shorter recovery times. Recently, robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) has seen a steady expansion. Unlike laparoscopic pyeloplasty (LP), RALP comes with a more manageable learning curve aided by specialized technological advantages such as high-resolution three-dimensional view, tremor filtration with motion scaling, and highly dexterous wrist-like instruments. With this review, we aim to highlight the trend toward robotic pyeloplasty over laparoscopy and current available evidence on outcomes.