[Endo-urologic treatment of the uretero-intestinal stenoses in patients subjected to diversion].

Surgical repair of uretero-enteric strictures in patients with enteric conduit urinary diversion (incidence rate 4-8%) is difficult and has a high morbidity. With the development of endo-urologic techniques and ureteral catheters, long-term insertion of stents in the treatment of strictures has become possible and safe. We have performed long-term uretero-enteric stenting with 7-8 Fr double-J catheters in 5 patients with 6 strictures: 3 ureteroileal and 3 uretero-colic. In three cases (2 colonic conduits, 1 ileal conduit) the stent was inserted anterogradely following intercostal renal percutaneous punctures and dilatation of the stricture with teflon dilators (1 case), balloon catheter (1 case), or following the incision of the stricture (1 case). In one patient with a double uretero-enteric stricture of the ileal conduit, guide-wires were successfully inserted retrogradely which permitted subsequent high pressure dilatation of the uretero-ileal strictures with a 15 Fr balloon catheter. We used the same approach in another patient with a right uretero-colic stricture. The catheters were left indwelling for 7 to 35 months and were changed every 3 months with no remarkable observations other than 3 episodes of fever which quickly resolved with antibiotic treatment. Although is has been reported that uretero-enteric strictures are particularly refractory to endo-urologic treatment and a significant morbidity rate has been associated with long-term ureteral stenting, our results show that the approach was well-tolerated by all of the patients.