The ileal neobladder.

The ileal neobladder produces a completely detubularized, low pressure, high capacity reservoir constructed from ileum without any valves. Since April 1986, 161 patients underwent this type of surgery at our institution. Of these patients 141 underwent simultaneous radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, and 20 received a bladder augmentation. The mean postoperative follow-up is 23.8 months with a range of 3-52 months. Perioperative mortality was 0.5 percent, 9.5 percent of the patients died later than 2 months postoperatively, 7.5 percent due to tumor progression, 2 percent because of pneumonia, severe metabolic acidosis, myocardial infarction and apoplexy. Day and night continence was preserved in 78% of all patients; severe stress incontinence was found in 4.2 percent of the patients and night time incontinence needing some external device in 7.7%. 10 percent with mild stress incontinence do not require further treatment. Our experience with this relatively simple procedure is excellent: the need for reoperation is low and the high reservoir capacity results in early continence in most cases. This concept offers a genuine alternative to any form of cutaneous urinary diversion with an incidence of complications not higher than after standard supravesical urinary diversion.