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Why to perform surgery

Overview

Why is this procedure performed?

A SUB (subcutaneous ureteral bypass) procedure is performed to alleviate a patient with obstruction of the urinary ureter. Commonly, patients develop ureteral obstruction when a urinary stone becomes lodged in the tube that connects the kidney to the urinary bladder. This obstruction results in an inability to normally pass urine to the urinary bladder and can result in kidney disease. This specialized device is surgically placed and acts as an artificial ureter between the kidney and the urinary bladder.

How is the procedure performed?

A SUB surgery is performed under fluoroscopic guidance. This imaging enables the surgeon to place the SUB device more accurately within the kidney to ensure optimal function of the artificial ureter.

Aftercare

Hospitalization following surgery can range from 2-5 days in the MSU VMC ICU (intensive care unit). Patients with SUB devices will be monitored closely and require post-operative evaluations to care for the system that can be coordinated with your primary veterinarian, the soft tissue surgery service, or the MSU VMC Internal Medicine team.

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