Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Radiol. Dec 28, 2024; 16(12): 708-711
Published online Dec 28, 2024. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v16.i12.708
Endoureteral ablation: A novel technique to occlude the ureter in patients with urinary tract fistulae
Samantha E Pfiffner, Arif Musa, Ira S Winer, Ali N Harb
Samantha E Pfiffner, Department of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
Arif Musa, Department of Radiology, Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
Ira S Winer, Department of Oncology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
Ali N Harb, Department of Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
Author contributions: Musa A, Winer IS and Harb AN contributed to the design and implementation of the research study, as well as editing the manuscript; Pfiffner SE performed the research and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Arif Musa is a recipient of grant funding from the Radiological Society of North American Research and Education Foundation and a contractor for WebMD/Medscape. Samantha Pfiffner is a recipient of the Wayne State University School of Medicine Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship. Ali Harb is a faculty mentor for Samantha Pfiffner through her receipt of the Wayne State University School of Medicine Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship. Ira Winer has nothing to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Samantha E Pfiffner, Department of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E Canfield St., Detroit, MI 48201, United States. hi6857@wayne.edu
Received: July 1, 2024
Revised: November 27, 2024
Accepted: December 6, 2024
Published online: December 28, 2024
Processing time: 179 Days and 8 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Endoureteral ablation using laser or radiofrequency ablation presents a promising new treatment for urinary fistulae, converting energy to heat to induce fibrosis and occlude fistulas. Early successes in both animal and human models indicate that this method could offer a less invasive, more effective, and cost-efficient alternative to current treatments, particularly benefiting patients unfit for surgery. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and establish endoureteral ablation as a viable clinical option.