Novel and Minimally Invasive Upper Urinary Tract Interventions

Presentation Description / Summary: As veterinary medicine advances, numerous minimally invasive techniques have been developed that allow for novel treatments that did not previously exist. The purpose of this lecture will be to introduce and discuss novel and minimally invasive treatment options that are performed in the upper urinary tract. The lecture will discuss the management of nephroliths using both percutaneous and open nephrolithotomy (basketing of stones from the renal pelvis) and nephrolithotripsy (fragmenting of stones with subsequent removal from the renal pelvis) techniques. Additionally, percutaneous approaches for treatment of fungal granulomas and both tumor induced and benign ureteral obstruction will be discussed. Kidney-specific cancer therapies, such as ablation and embolization that allow for nephron-sparing, which is particularly important in veterinary patients that have underlying renal disease will also be discussed. This lecture will focus on indications for performing these upper urinary tract interventions, including the decision-making process to ensure that patient well-being is a primary focus when proceeding. In addition, there will be a basic overview of each procedure, discussion of outcome data, as well as basic peri-procedure management.