Correction of congenital hydronephrosis in utero IV: In utero decompression prevents renal dysplasia

Renal dysplasia (RD) is commonly seen in babies with urinary tract obstruction (UTO). Recent experimental evidence suggests that early fetal UTO leads to the development of RD. The RD seen in children with congenital UTO is usually not reversible, even when the obstruction is relieved soon after birth. Is the RD associated with congenital UTO preventable or reversible by decompression of the urinary tract early in gestation? If so, at what stage of development must this decompression be performed? We produced complete unilateral ureteral obstruction in 25 early second trimester (62 to 65 days) lamb fetuses, a procedure that results in ipsilateral RD at term (140 days). At a second operation, 20, 40, or 60 days after the initial procedure, we decompressed the obstructed kidney by a cutaneous end-ureterostomy. The contralateral unobstructed kidneys served as controls. Renal function (urine output and iothalamate clearance) and histopathology were evaluated after delivery at term. Recovery of renal function was directly proportional to the duration of in utero decompression and inversely proportional to duration of obstruction. In addition, in utero decompression prevented or greatly ameliorated the development of RD. However, some postobstructive changes persisted; these were proportional to the length of in utero obstruction. These results substantiate the clinical impression that some human fetuses with congenital UTO may benefit from early in utero decompression.