Laparoscopic repair for vesicouterine fistulae.

Vesicouterine fistulae (VUF) comprise 2-9% of all cases of urogenital fistulae. Only 5% of patients respond to conservative management, whereas other patients require definitive surgical repair (1). Although laparoscopy provides better visualization through magnification, this technique is difficult to learn. We hypothesized that the experience gained through other pelvic laparoscopic procedures, such as ureteral re-implantation, correction of vesicovaginal fistulae, and radical prostatectomy, may enhance the ability of urologists to perform this procedure with traditional laparoscopic intracorporeal suturing, without the need for any special tools.