Endoscopic Valve Ablation
Removing obstructing valves in a newborn boy — no external cut.
What is Endoscopic Valve Ablation?
A fine telescope is passed along the urinary passage and the obstructing valve leaflets are divided, relieving the blockage. There is no cut on the outside.
Hospital stay
Several days, depending on the baby’s condition.
Performed by
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
- Normal
- The problem
Why It Is Done
Surgery is advised in these situations. The decision is always made after examining your child, never from a description.
- Posterior urethral valves confirmed on MCUG — this is not a condition to observe
- To relieve obstruction and protect whatever kidney function the baby has
- Urgently where there is infection, rising creatinine or an over-distended bladder
Before the Day
- A catheter is placed immediately to drain the bladder while tests are completed
- Fluids, electrolytes and any infection are corrected first
- Creatinine is repeated over the first days — the later value reflects the baby’s own kidneys
During the Operation
- General anaesthetic
- A cystoscope is passed and the valve leaflets divided
- A short procedure; a catheter may be left briefly afterwards
Afterwards, and at Home
- The urinary stream should improve
- Some babies pass large volumes of dilute urine for a period and need careful fluid and salt management
- Several days in hospital, with NICU support where needed
What Can Go Wrong
- Incomplete ablation needing a repeat procedure
- Narrowing of the urethra from instrumentation
- Persisting bladder dysfunction — very common, and managed rather than cured
- Kidney function may still decline over years despite a technically perfect procedure
Every operation carries risk. These are listed openly because a parent consenting to surgery is entitled to know them — not because they are expected. The surgeon will go through which of them actually apply to your child.
Common Questions
If your question is not here, send it on WhatsApp and the hospital team will answer.
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
Consultant Paediatric & Neonatal Surgeon · Palliyadi, Kanyakumari
Super-specialist surgical care for newborns, infants and children, with expertise in paediatric urology, congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
The valves are divided through the urinary passage, with no external cut.
The bladder is drained and the baby stabilised before anything else is done. If your son has a poor stream or a bladder you can feel, bring him in now.
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In an emergency — green vomiting in a baby, a groin swelling that will not go back, severe tummy pain, or a newborn not passing urine or meconium — come straight to the hospital or to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a reply to a message.