Complications of pregnancy in women after reimplantation for vesicoureteral reflux.

The physiological changes of the urinary tract during pregnancy place women at increased risk of urological problems during that time. To evaluate how patients after ureteral reimplantation fared during this high risk period we contacted 67 women who had undergone ureteroneocystostomy with a minimum of 15 years of followup. Only those who underwent an operation for primary vesicoureteral reflux were included. Of the women 30 had been pregnant with 64 total pregnancies. During pregnancy 17 of the 30 women (57 per cent) had 1 or more urinary tract infections and 5 (17 per cent) had 1 or more episodes of pyelonephritis. There were 8 spontaneous abortions and 1 severe ureteral obstruction requiring cutaneous drainage until after delivery. There appears to be an increased risk of urinary infection and fetal loss in pregnant women who have undergone ureteral reimplantation as children. More frequent urinary screening and aggressive therapy during pregnancy are recommended in this high risk group.