{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T19:19:59Z","timestamp":1783624799996,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,10]],"date-time":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741564800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Congenital urological malformations are among the most frequent causes of pediatric chronic kidney disease. Endoscopic balloon dilation and ureteral stenting can be considered less invasive options compared to conventional surgery for primary obstructive megaureter (POM). Nevertheless, the long-term results and side effects of these methods have not yet been well documented. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and safety of the endoscopic treatment of POM in children, with the aim of assisting clinical decision making and improving treatment plans. Materials and Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study was performed at the Pediatric Surgery Department of the \u201cM.S. Curie\u201d Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children in Bucharest between October 2020 and September 2024. Eleven endoscopic interventions were performed in five pediatric patients (four boys and one girl) who had six affected ureters, with a median age of 22 months. The inclusion criteria were retrovesical ureter dilation &gt; 7 mm and no prior surgeries of the ureterovesical junction. Cases with secondary megaureters were excluded from the study. The procedures comprised HPEBD and temporary double-J (DJ) stent placement, with systematic postoperative monitoring. Success was defined as improvements in symptoms, a decrease in hydronephrosis, and the preservation of renal function. Results: A final success rate of 83.3% was achieved with endoscopic treatment. Complications were noted in 73% of cases: Clavien\u2013Dindo Grade I (30%); Clavien\u2013Dindo Grade II (20%); Clavien\u2013Dindo Grade IIIb (50%). The documented complications consisted of balloon rupture, stent migration, restenosis, and febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs). Nonetheless, no major complications were observed. The postoperative monitoring showed that renal function was stable and that hydronephrosis had improved gradually. Conclusions: Endoscopic procedures offer a promising, minimally invasive treatment for POM in children with a good success rate. However, the high complication risk necessitates careful patient selection, post-surgery monitoring, and clear guidelines.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina61030479","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,10]],"date-time":"2025-03-10T08:46:41Z","timestamp":1741596401000},"page":"479","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Endoscopic Balloon Dilation for Primary Obstructive Megaureter in Children: Early Outcomes and Complications\u2014A Case Series"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"61","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3983-1037","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"George Vlad","family":"Isac","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicolae Sebastian","family":"Ionescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Pediatric Surgery, \u201cM.S. Curie\u201d Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children, 077120 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"The Academy of Romanian Scientists, 50044 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences, 030167 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"George Holcomb, J. (2014). Patrick Murphy, Daniel Ostlie\u2014Ashcraft\u2019s Pediatric Surgery, Elsevier. [6th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Coran, A.G., Caldamone, A., Adzick, N.S., Krummel, T.M., Laberge, J.M., and Shamberger, R. (2012). Pediatric Surgery, Elsevier. [7th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Wein, A., Kavoussi, L., Partin, A., and Peters, C. (2015). 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