Orthotopic neobladder vs. ileal conduit urinary diversion: A long-term quality-of-life comparison.

PURPOSE

The optimal form of urinary diversion following radical cystectomy remains controversial. We sought to compare the long-term health-related quality-of-life outcomes between patients with orthotopic neobladder and ileal conduit diversion (ICD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled 95 patients following radical cystectomy and ICD (n = 49) or orthotopic neobladder reconstruction (ONR) (n = 46), with a minimum interval of 1 year from surgery. All patients completed the Bladder Cancer Index questionnaire, assessing their urinary, bowel, and sexual function, and bother scores.

RESULTS

Patients treated with ONR were generally younger and healthier compared with those who underwent ICD (P<0.01). Sex, marital status, disease status at the time of enrollment, and mean duration elapsing from surgery to interview were similar between the subgroups. Better functional scores in favor of ICD were recorded in the urinary domain (P<0.01), whereas the corresponding bother scores were roughly identical in both groups. Conversely, although higher functional scores were recorded in the sexual domain of patients with ONR (P<0.01), the corresponding bother scores in this group were lower compared with their counterparts with ICD (53.2 vs. 65.3; P<0.05). As patients grew older they were more likely to report on better urinary function and worse sexual function, but were less likely to be bothered by the decline in sexual function.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that the bother resulting from urinary incontinence and the risk of sexual dysfunction be highlighted to those electing for neobladder reconstruction, whereas patients preferring conduit diversion should be reassured that their expected quality of life is not compromised.