injuries and poisoning
Ureteral Injuries
Introduction
The ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. (See Overview of Urinary Tract and Genital Injury .) The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), bladder, and urethra (the tube through which urine flows out of the body). These organs may be injured by blunt force (as occurs in a motor vehicle crash or a fall) or by penetrating force (as results from a gunshot or stabbing). Injuries may also occur unintentionally during surgery. Most injuries to the ureter occur during pelvic or abdominal operations, such as removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) or the colon (colectomy), cesarean delivery, or repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, or during ureteroscopy (an examination of the ureter with a rigid or flexible viewing tube). Another rare cause of ureteral injury is penetration by either a gunshot or stab wound. Rarely, blunt injuries, particularly those that cause the trunk to bend backward, can separate the upper part of the ureter from the kidney; such injuries are more common in children and young adolescents. 