Surgical treatment of urinary incontinence

  A month and a half ago, a 22-year-old woman from Jiangxi came to my specialist clinic on Wednesday afternoon with a gloomy and melancholy expression. The trouble of “urinary incontinence” not only makes her smell and stay away from outdoor and sports activities, which leads to depression and mood depression. Having been seen at several local and provincial hospitals, the diagnosis was inconsistent: congenital isolated kidney (left side)? congenital malformation of the right ureter with possible urinary incontinence? Ureterovaginal fistula? As a result, effective treatment has not been available.  In the outpatient clinic, the patient’s history and symptoms showed that she had “normal urination with persistent urinary leakage”, and the ultrasound and abdominal CT of the external hospital suggested “congenital agenesis of the right kidney?” By reading the CT film, the ureter of the left kidney was completely normal, which basically ruled out the possibility of ectopic ureteral opening (e.g. the opening was located in the vagina) due to the duplication malformation of the left upper urinary tract, and by reading the film carefully, I found a small soft tissue shadow at the level of the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae in the right retroperitoneal level suspected the possibility of congenital dysplasia of the right kidney. It was not difficult to confirm my judgment, but a physical examination to see if there was a persistent “leaky” ureteral opening in the vagina was all that was needed, but the patient was an unmarried woman and this simple examination could not be performed. Therefore, I decided to admit the patient to the hospital.  Upon admission, the patient was scheduled for two tests: 1) delayed CTU (CTU) and 2) renal nuclear scan (ECT).  Sure enough, CTU revealed a suspected renal pelvis visualization at the level of the 4th lumbar vertebra in the right retroperitoneal level, with a dilated ureter below. Thus, congenital dysplasia of the right kidney (renal atrophy) with ectopic opening of the ureter was identified, resulting in (extra-urethral) urinary incontinence.  On February 6, 2015, a laparoscopic right nephrectomy and ureterectomy was successfully performed for the patient, during which the right kidney, renal tip vessels and ureter were isolated at a location below the normal kidney and removed intact. Postoperative pathology confirmed a dysplastic kidney. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the 4th day after the operation, and has since left the nightmare of 22 years and returned to the society with a happy mood. Let’s wish her a new rebirth and a bright future.