Overview

Ureteral Stricture

Narrowing of the ureter tube is called a ureteral stricture. Urine backs up into the kidney and causes side and back pain, sometimes kidney infections, kidney stones or kidney damage to function of the kidney.

Any injury to the ureter during surgery can cause surgical scarring.

Other causes by kidney stones, upper urinary tract inflammation, or a tumor. As scar tissue builds up in the ureter so does inflammation around the ureter. This happens for many reasons including a

External traumatic injury or as a complication of a previous surgery
Procedure to manage kidney stones
Surgeries surrounding the ureters, for example, gynecologic or vascular surgical procedures
Radiation therapy for prostate cancer or other types of cancers
Tumors
Autoimmune
Congenital, meaning they are present at birth

Side or back pain
Feeling of fullness
Blood in the urine
Nausea
Urinary tract infections
Pain worse with increased fluids or alcohol

Renal ultrasound
CT scan
MRI scan
Renal Nuclear Medicine Scan
Retrograde Ureteroscopy (Surgeon looks up into the ureter with a small camera to see why there is scarring)

Overview

Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJ)

The urine flow from the kidney into the the ureter is blocked. The point of blockage is where the ureter (tube attached to kidney that drains urine to bladder) meets the collecting system or the portion of the kidney that collects the urine made by the kidney.

Most often this is congenital and happens from birth. But other causes include:

Abnormal blood vessel over the ureter
Scar tissue
Infection
Earlier treatments for a blockage
Kidney stones

The kidney can be damaged from the urine build up and this can cause:

Abdominal mass
Urinary tract infection
Back or flank pain
Bloody urine
Kidney infection
Vomiting

CT urogram (scan of both kidneys with contrast)
Ultrasound
Urine and blood test
Nuclear scan of kidneys
X-ray of kidneys, bladder, ureters
Voiding cystourethrogram (X-ray of bladder while it is emptying)

Often bladder cancer can require complete bladder removal, and for men, usually means the prostate as well.

For women this can mean removing the bladder plus the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and top of the vaginal wall. When the bladder is removed, the surgeon must reconstruct the bladder so that the urine can pass from the kidney out of the body. The kidneys which make the urine, the ureters which pass the urine to the bladder, and urethra which passes the urine out of the body are all still in place. There is no known artificial bladder has yet, the surgeon must create one one from intestine. Please See the Bladder cancer treatment page for more information.

Submit an online appointment request or call 310-582-7137 if you have signs and symptoms that worry you.