Long-term outcomes of catheterizable continent urinary diversion in children

Abstract

Introduction/Objective The use of bladder augmentation and/or continent urinary diversion has gained wide acceptance, particularly in children with small, abnormally developed bladder or high-pressure bladder that poses great risk for renal deterioration and incontinence. We discuss indications, results, and complications with various types of continent vesicostomy (CV) in children.

Methods Sixty-eight patients with CV are retrospectively reviewed (51 boys and 17 girls) 1987–2008. The median follow-up time was 17.8 years (3–22 years). CV included appendicovesicostomy in 31 (41.3%), vesicostomy with distal ureter in 27 (36.0%), and preputial CV in 10 (13.3%) patients. CV in patients with augmented bladder was in 18 (26.47%) children. The indications for performing CV were various types of neurogenic and myogenic dysfunctions of urine bladder with incontinence due to the following pathoanatomical substrates: anomalies of the brain–spine segment development (27), bladder exstrophy (10), posterior urethral valve (15), expansive processes (4), and other anatomical defects in 12 patients.

Results Continence was achieved in 94.64% of the cases, without statistically significant difference between particular types of the stoma (p = 0.065). Early complications included stoma necrosis, stoma bleeding, peristomal infection in 5/68 (7.35%) patients, and late complications included calculosis, in 20/68 (29.4%), stomal stenosis, in 8/68 (11.5%), and difficulties of catheterization, in 3/68 patients (4.08%). Calculosis was predominant in appendicovesicostomy (p = 0.012).

Conclusion CV is a safe procedure applied with the main purposes of achieving continence, preservation of renal function, and improvement of the quality of life, along with an acceptably low rate of complications.

Keywords: children; continent vesicotomy; postoperative complications