Ureteropyeloscopy is a procedure in which a ureteroscope (a thin lighted tube with a high resolution camera) is used to view the inside of the ureter (the tube which connects the kidney to the bladder). Your urologist may need a clear view of your ureter to locate and identify a stone, a stricture (an unhealthy narrowing of the ureter), an obstruction, or sometimes cancer.

Ureteropyeloscopy is performed under local or general anesthesia, and can take between 30-60 minutes. If your doctor performs additional surgery in conjunction with your ureteropyeloscopy, the procedure can take up to two hours. During the surgery, your doctor may insert a temporary catheter in the ureter, to be removed within 10 days. You will likely go home either the same day or within 24 hours after your ureteropyeloscopy.

Therapeutic Ureteropyeloscopy

Ureteropyeloscopy can be used as a therapeutic tool to address several conditions.

Ureter strictures (or scars) caused by a previous medical procedure such as surgery or radiation can be repaired via ureteropyeloscopy by implementing electrical incision, lasers or balloon expansions after the visualization process.

Ureteroscopy can be used to effectively treat ureter stones by locating the stone and visualizing it. A laser can be threaded through the ureteroscope to break down or destroy the stone. A basket is another tool which can be used with a ureteroscope to capture and remove a stone.

Diagnostic ureteropyeloscopy

In additional to its uses as a visualization tool, ureterscopes can be used to perform biopsies (removal of tissue to examine in a lab) on tumors or other abnormal tissues.

Transitional cell carcinoma is a type of cancer found within the kidney or ureter which is particularly difficult to diagnose. The cancer can easily be mistaken for a kidney stone or blood clot; the magnified, clear view that a ureteropyeloscopy affords a doctor makes it a particularly effective tool in diagnosing transitional cell carcinoma.