Pain after pyeloplasty and stent removal

[JMoraga]

My son had a pyeloplasty nearly two months ago to correct a UPJ obstruction and severe hydronephrosis.  Since the surgery he has complained of flank pain.  We were told by the urologist that once the stent was removed that the pain and inflammation should subside.  While the stent was still in, i had taken my son to the ED for severe pain 5 times, it actually mimicked the pain that he had pre-op.  The stent was removed 5 days ago and he has since had kidney pain.  He is on pain medication to deal with the severe pain.  Last night we once again ended up in the Emerency Room.  The urinalysis and blood work showed no infection or abnormality.  He also had an ultrasound and the kidney has decreased in size.  So, with no infection present and kidney function is actually improving, what could be causing the severe pain?  He is only six years old and it kills me to have to see him go thru this

[margypops]

We have an expert Urology forum on Med Help. Go back to the forums page look to the right and go down the list .You will get better help there ..good Luck

[oppa6005]

I am so glad to have found this! My son is 5 and half and we struggled with about 2 mysterious episodes a month of intense stomach pain is how he described it. After several trips to the dr and ER and them telling us it was gas!!!!!!!! I gave up and tried to handle it myself. Things got worse and worse to the point with the episodes he began vomiting and passing out so it scared me and I took him to the ER again. That is when they finally did a cat scan and saw his left kidney had severe hydronephrosis. We had the robotic assisted pyeloplasty two weeks ago and after the surgery he couldn't urinate. After two days my son was in the worse condition I had ever seen and we rushed him to the hospital. It took them over 24 hours and 5 attempts to cathederize him before they could drain his bladder. He seemed to get a little better and then two days later he began with the pain and vomiting again. They did an ultrasound and his kidney was huge!!!! The dr seemed baffled like he had never had this happen. He just kept telling us the surgery was a success so he can only assume the stint is clogged and they sent us home with very heavy pain meds and said hopefully the stent will clear. It felt like he didn't know what to do because he didn't know what was wrong! This is rediculous and I am terrified my son will loose his kidney. So my question is the surgery was to fix the ureter and they put a stent in to help the ureter heal. So if it was that the stent was clogged wouldn't it atleast drain thru the ureter around the stent or does a stent keep it from going thru the ureter?

[JMoraga]

I hope your sons symptoms have subsided.  It has now been nearly 10 months since my sons surgery and he had a good 6 month run with little or no pain at all in the flank area only to have it re-occur mildly about 2 months ago.  More recently he had another visit to the ER due to severe flank pain to where he was actually in tears for hours.  At the hospital they noticed he was constipated but also the hydronephrosis was once again very present.  I was told after his surgery that the kidney, because of the damage would always present as hydronephrotic, just probably appear smaller and be less symptomatic as it was.  He has been put on miralax and it seems that every time he shows pain in the kidney that there is also constipation present.  You almost begin to wonder if the problem will ever completely be pain-free for our children.  This most recent visit to the ER, after my son urinated about 6 or 7 times and vomited twice, the kidney pain seemed to have subsided and we were released with instructions to have him drink alot of fluids, keep him on a steady dose of miralax and keep him on a bland diet for 2 to 3 days.  Does your son have problems with constipation as well and have you received any answers as to why the kidney just continues to retain urine?  

[SIAddams]

We are in your situation. Our son had a pyeloplasty August 2012 and had a tough recovery with severe urine leaking from his penrose drain. Since his surgery we have had 3 ER trips with anti nausea and pain meds thru IV.

I since learned how to medicate him and we have had a few more flare ups I have treated at home.  He has severe flank pain, vomits for hours, tears...  The tests show his kidney is improved and drains at least with gravity. However, symptoms are on going.  The doctors dismiss his episodes.

We are told the same.  That it should improve over time, his kidney will serve him for his life, etc. But it feels like we don't have a great fix here and it's hard to trust we won't lose the kidney over time if it is regularly inflamed like this.  I wish I had answers but I really just have the same questions. Where are you?  We are in SD,CA.  

Do you have a plan?