Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 16, Issue 2 125-129, Copyright © 1997 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Postoperative color Doppler flow ultrasonographic assessment of ureteral patency in gynecologic oncology patients
O. Abulafia, D. M. Sherer and P. S. Lee
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, West Virginia, USA.
Our objective was to assess postoperative ureteral patency in gynecologic
oncology patients with color Doppler flow ultrasonographic assessment of
ureteral jets. Forty-five consecutive gynecologic oncology patients meeting
inclusion criteria prospectively underwent postoperative transabdominal
color Doppler flow ultrasonographic assessment of ureteral jets to
establish patency; 48 consecutive women undergoing transabdominal
ultrasonographic studies for benign gynecologic conditions served as a
control group. Statistical analysis included two-tailed t-test, with P <
0.05 considered significant. Bilateral ureteral jets were successfully
demonstrated by color Doppler flow ultrasonography in all study patients
and control patients. The mean time required to visualize bilateral
ureteral jets was significantly different between the study group and
control group (mean, 5.8 min +/- 0.6 min versus 2.6 min +/- 0.2 min,
respectively) (P < 0.05). We conclude that postoperative ureteral
patency in gynecologic oncology patients can be easily demonstrated by
transabdominal color Doppler flow ultrasonographic assessment of ureteric
jets.
