Prone retroperitoneoscopy in treating complex renal vascular malformations.

INTRODUCTION: Two children presented with malignant hypertension due to complex reno-vascular malformations. The 7-min video shows the use of prone retroperitoneoscopy in both. PATIENT 1: A 6-year-old girl presented with convulsions and malignant hypertension. Captopril DMSA was suggestive of right renal artery stenosis. On formal angiography, the kidney was perfused by what appeared to be an arterio-venous malformation. The renal artery was hypoplastic and there were pulsatile vessels along the ureter due to the gonadal periureteric and gonadal inferior capsular collateral supply to the kidney. The kidney could be devascularized easily by controlling these. PATIENT 2: A 14-month-old boy presented with 6-month history of poor appetite, weight loss and irritability. Formal angiography showed acute obstruction of the main upper pole branch. The vessels to the upper pole could be clearly seen and controlled at surgery for partial right nephrectomy. He recovered with no urine leak or bleeding.
CONCLUSION: Gravity kept the renal vessels under stretch allowing excellent two-hand dissection and the space was adequate for suture closure of a calyx in Case 2. The prone approach provides excellent exposure of the renal blood vessels, aorta and vena cava, and seems to be the most suitable for complex renal vascular malformations.