Robotic-assisted excision of a giant ureteral stump in a child: Case report and Non-systematic review of the Literature

Background: Radical removal of the ureter is not routinary performed during nephrectomy/hemineprectomy, distal ureteral stump syndrome may follow. Case summary: A 17-year-old male with urinary malformation history came to the emergency department for abdominal pain and tenesmus. Imaging revealed a huge abdominal mass, compatible with a massively dilated residual ureteral stump resulting from heminephrectomy operation performed 7 years before for a complete right duplex system with hypoplasia of the upper right system. A robotic procedure was planned and the stump, which was ectopic and drained into the seminal vesicles, was successfully removed. The patient was discharged after recovery; he was followed up for one year after surgery without any complications. Conclusion: Ureteral stumps rarely require reoperation, but our case suggests a need for long-term follow-up. Robotic-assisted excision showed to be a safe and effective technique for surgical management of a massively dilated ectopic stump in the pediatric population.