Complications of laparoscopic surgery of the upper urinary tract

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become the standard of care for a wide range of surgical procedures in pediatric urology, resulting in a reduction in the morbidity inherent to previously large, open procedures. As improvement in surgical innovation has markedly evolved and with significant advancements to technology that has refined both intraoperative visualization and surgeon dexterity, the complexity of surgery being performed by the pediatric urologist has developed with increasing bravado. With a widening breadth of surgical procedures in most pediatric urologists' armamentarium come unwanted complications. Here we present evidence-based strategies to optimize execution of MIS for upper tract procedures in an attempt to minimize complications and guide early detection with implementation of appropriate treatment strategies to lessen long-term adverse effects.