Ureteral trauma

[Sonia]

Most ureteral injuries occur during surgery. Procedures that most often injure the ureter include ureteroscopy, hysterectomy, low anterior colon resection, and open abdominal aneurysm repair. Mechanisms include ligation, transection, avulsion, crush, devascularization, kinking, and electrocoagulation.
Noniatrogenic ureteral injuries account for only about 1 to 3% of all genitourinary trauma. They usually result from gunshot wounds and rarely from stab wounds. In children, avulsion injuries are more common and occur at the ureteropelvic junction. Complications include peritoneal or retroperitoneal urinary leakage; perinephric abscess; fistula formation (eg, ureterovaginal, ureterocutaneous); and ureteral stricture, obstruction, or both.