A retrospective study indicates that for certain elderly patients undergoing surgery for bladder cancer, diverting urine from the bladder can be safely achieved with what's known as a cutaneous ureterostomy with a single stoma rather than the commonly used ileal conduit.
In a study of 35 elderly patients who underwent surgery and received a cutaneous ureterostomy with a single stoma and 35 who received an ileal conduit, operative times, blood loss, need for intensive care unit stay, time to drain removal, and the length of hospital stay were significantly higher in patients undergoing ileal conduit diversion. The number of patients with surgical complications was also significantly higher among those undergoing ileal conduit diversion.
"Interestingly, there were no statistically significant differences in tems of quality of life between the two groups," said Dr. Massimiliano Creta, co-author of the BJU International study. "Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these data."
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