The efficacy analysis of robotic versus laparoscopic ipsilateral uretero-ureterostomy for upper urinary tract duplications in pediatric population

Objective To review and compare robot-assisted ipsilateral ureteroureterostomy (RALUU) and laparoscopic ipsilateral uretero-ureterostomy (LUU) in terms of efficacy and outcomes. Methods Clinical data of 65 children with complete renal ureteral duplication deformity admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2015 to December 2022 were collected. Among these, 42 patients underwent laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy (LUU), designated as the LUU group, while 23 patients received robot-assisted laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy (RALUU), designated as the RALUU group. We compared the two groups regarding surgical duration, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage duration, length of hospital stay, changes in anterior-posterior diameter (APD) of the affected renal pelvis pre- and postoperatively, changes in ureteral diameter, and alterations in renal function. Results The postoperative drainage duration (Z = 2.375, P = 0.024) and length of hospital stay (t = 2.142, P = 0.038) were shorter in the RALUU group compared to the LUU group, with statistically significant differences. However, there were no statistically significant differences in surgical duration (t=-1.465, P = 0.153) and intraoperative blood loss (Z = 1.679, P = 0.097) between the two groups. Complications occurred in three patients in the LUU group (two cases of anastomotic stricture and one case of stump syndrome), while no long-term complications were reported in the RALUU group, with no significant difference between the groups (χ²=0.482, P = 0.488). Both groups exhibited a tendency for improvement in APD, ureteral diameter (UD), and differential renal function (DRF) pre- and postoperatively. However, further analysis revealed that changes in APD (ΔAPD, t=-1.132, P = 0.284), DRF (ΔDRF, Z = 1.865, P = 0.073), and UD (ΔUD, t = 1.562, P = 0.064) did not show statistically significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion Both RALUU and LUU are safe and effective treatments for children with complete renal ureteral duplication anomalies. Compared to LUU, RALUU is associated with shorter postoperative drainage duration and hospital stay.