Reconstruction
Robotic repair of a narrowed ureter, sometimes with a cheek graft, to restore drainage from the kidney and end the need for stents.
Written and reviewed by Shervin Badkhshan, MD · Last reviewed
November 2026
Part of:
Ureter and kidney drainage
Hospital, 1 night
Stent: several weeks
Fellowship-Trained Reconstructive Urology
PROCEDURAL PATHWAY AT-A-GLANCE
Indications, Surgical Technique & Recovery
1. WHO IT'S FOR
• Ureteral strictures • Avoiding long-term stents
2. HOW IT'S DONE
• Robotic, small incisions • Reconnection or cheek graft • Temporary stent
3. RECOVERY
• 1 night in the hospital • Stent removed in a few weeks • Follow-up renogram
Robotic ureteroplasty repairs a narrowed ureter, the tube between the kidney and bladder, through small incisions. For longer strictures, a graft of tissue from inside the cheek widens the narrowed segment.
Who it's for
Men and women with a ureteral stricture who would otherwise need long-term stents or a kidney drain, especially when the narrowing is too long for a simple reconnection.
The operation
Using the robot, the narrowed segment is either removed and the ends reconnected, or opened and patched with a buccal mucosa graft. A temporary internal stent protects the repair while it heals.
Recovery
Most patients stay one night. The stent stays in for several weeks and is removed in the office. A renogram a few months later confirms the kidney is draining well.
Risks
Bleeding, infection, urine leak, stent discomfort, and the narrowing coming back. If a cheek graft is used, the mouth is sore for about a week.
Related
Robotic ureteral reconstruction · Recovery after upper tract surgery
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.
Considering Reconstructive or Prosthetic Surgery?
See Dr. Badkhshan in person in Garden City or by video visit.
Book a Consultation