Ureteral assessment after radical hysterectomy

Postoperative intravenous pyelography was performed in 233 patients with stage IB cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy between January 1962 and December 1985. Four patients developed symptoms of ureteral injury, two (0.8%) ureteral fistulae, and one (0.4%) stricture and obstruction due to recurrent carcinoma. No ureteral injuries were observed in 229 asymptomatic patients. A 5.2% incidence of transient severe ureteral dilatation occurred in asymptomatic patients, but resolved within a median of 94 days. A significant urinary tract anomaly was observed in 3.4% of preoperative pyelograms. All of these anomalies were apparent at surgery and presented no intraoperative difficulties. Three patients (1.3%) sustained intraoperative ureteral transections, which were diagnosed and repaired without sequelae. In patients with early cervical carcinoma having primary operative treatment, the role of routine preoperative and postoperative intravenous pyelography is questionable.