A New Way to Fix Kidney Blockages in Babies

A study looked at two ways to fix a kidney problem in babies. The problem is called ureteropelvic junction obstruction, or UPJO. This happens when the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder gets blocked. The study compared two types of surgery. One is called laparoscopic pyeloplasty, or LP. The other is robot-assisted single-port laparoscopic pyeloplasty, or RSLP. Both methods were used on babies under 12 months old. The study found that RSLP might be better in some ways. The surgery took less time. The part where the tube is sewn back together was quicker. The babies also stayed in the hospital for a shorter time after the surgery. But RSLP has a downside. It costs more than LP. The hospital bills were much higher for the babies who had RSLP. Both types of surgery helped the babies. After the surgery, the swelling in their kidneys went down. The size of their kidneys looked better too. RSLP seems to be a good choice for fixing UPJO in babies. It is safe and works well. But the high cost is something to think about.