Bladder and Ureteral Injury after GI Surgery on the Rise

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Lower urinary tract (LUT) injury following gastrointestinal (GI) surgery is on the increase, data show.

The trend emerged from a review of data in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. Using CPT codes, investigators queried the database for GI surgery (including small and large bowel and sigmoid and rectal surgery) and bladder and ureteral injury.

Overall, from 2002-2008, the rate of ureteral injury rose from 0.17% to 0.25% and the rate of bladder injury increased from 0.48% to 0.54%, according to findings presented at the American Urological Association annual meeting. In 2008, the rate of ureteral injury following laparoscopic GI surgery was 0.16%, accounting for more than of all ureteral injuries, according to data presented at the American Urological Association 2011 annual meeting.

By comparison, the rate of ureteral injury is higher than the 0.22% rate reported in the obstetrics/gynecology literature, the authors noted.