Reconstruction
Reconnecting the ureter to a new spot on the bladder to bypass a blockage or scar near the bladder.
Written and reviewed by Shervin Badkhshan, MD · Last reviewed
November 2026
Part of:
Ureter and kidney drainage
Hospital, 1–2 nights
Stent: several weeks
Fellowship-Trained Reconstructive Urology
PROCEDURAL PATHWAY AT-A-GLANCE
Indications, Surgical Technique & Recovery
1. WHO IT'S FOR
• Lower ureter strictures • Damage near the bladder • Some cases of reflux
2. HOW IT'S DONE
• Robotic • Ureter reattached to the bladder • Temporary stent
3. RECOVERY
• 1–2 nights • Catheter about 1 week • Stent removed in a few weeks
Ureteral reimplantation reconnects the ureter to a new spot on the bladder. It's used when the lower ureter, near the bladder, is narrowed or damaged.
Who it's for
Men and women with a stricture of the lower ureter from prior surgery, stones, radiation, or injury, and some patients with reflux of urine from the bladder to the kidney.
The operation
Done robotically through small incisions. The damaged segment is removed, and the healthy ureter is attached to the bladder, sometimes with the bladder hitched up to reach without tension. A temporary stent protects the connection.
Recovery
Usually one or two nights in the hospital, sometimes with a catheter for about a week. The stent is removed in the office after a few weeks, and a follow-up scan checks drainage.
Risks
Bleeding, infection, urine leak, bladder spasms from the stent, and narrowing at the new connection.
Related
Your results and questions
Your actual test results, visit notes, and messages with your care team are in your patient portal, the same one you use to book visits. Send questions through the portal or call the office at (516) 535-1900. For anything urgent, call the office or go to the nearest emergency room.
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