Ectopic Ureter: How to Care for Your Child

Surgery is a good treatment for most kids with an ectopic ureter.

Our bodies make urine (pee) in the kidneys, a set of bean-shaped organs located just below the ribcage. From the kidneys, the urine flows down tubes called ureters into the bladder. The urine is stored in the bladder until a person is ready to urinate (pee).

Sometimes, the ureter doesn't connect to the bladder in the usual place. This condition is called an ectopic ureter. It may run from the kidney to the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bottom of the bladder to the outside of the body when a person pees) or the reproductive organs. In girls, an ectopic ureter may drain into the vagina. In many children, the ectopic ureter occurs with a double (or duplicated) collecting system coming from the kidney.

Some kids with an ectopic ureter are more prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs). Boys may have pain in the testicles. Most girls with ectopic ureter constantly leak a small amount of urine into their underpants.

Surgery can fix the problem. The surgeon usually does this by moving the ectopic ureter so that it drains into a more normal location in the bladder. In a few kids, the kidney that the ectopic ureter is attached to doesn't work properly. If this is the case, the surgeon may remove the ureter and any damaged kidney tissue.

• If your daughter has a problem with leaking, she can wear an absorbent pad in her underwear.

• If your child has a UTI, give the medicine your health care provider prescribed as directed.

• Contact your child's surgeon to schedule a pre-surgical visit.

Your child has:

• Pain, burning, or a stinging sensation when peeing.

• A frequent urge to pee.

• A fever.

• Lower back or belly pain.

• Pee that is smelly, cloudy, or bloody.