The missed crossing vessel during open pyeloplasty: a potential advantage of the robot-assisted approach in children

To investigate whether the panoramic view offered by robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) reduces the likelihood of missing a crossing vessel compared to open pyeloplasty in cases where initial pyeloplasty fails.

A single institution redo-pyeloplasty database was reviewed for children treated between January 2012 to July 2023. Clinical history, imaging and operative details were reviewed to identify the etiology for the redo procedure.

Cohort consisted of 45 patients undergoing a redo RALP during the study period. 29 of 45 patients had an initial open surgical approach, whereas 16 had an initial RALP. 10 patients were noted to have a missed crossing vessel on redo pyeloplasty – 9 had an initial open approach whereas 1 had an initial RALP (p<0.0001).

RALP may reduce the risk of missing a crossing vessel due to the panoramic view of the surgical field intrinsic to an intraperitoneal RALP approach.