Supra-ampullar cystectomy with preservation of sexual function and ileal orthotopic reservoir for bladder tumor: twenty years of experience.

Objective: We describe the original surgical technique of supra-ampullar cystectomy associated with ileal neobladder, and present our results in terms of preservation of sexual potency, urinary continence and cancer control along twenty years of experience.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-eight consecutive patients with bladder tumor-27 transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) and 1 leiomyosarcoma-underwent supra-ampullar cystectomy with ileal orthotopic neobladder (2 Camey I and 26 Camey II) between May 1984 and June 1999. The median age of the patients was 51.0 years (range 23-65). Preoperatively 24 patients had superficial high-risk TCC. Involvement of prostatic urethra was excluded by means of preoperative endoscopic biopsies. The bladder, part of the prostate with the prostatic urethra and regional lymph nodes were removed, while the vas deferens with deferential ampullae, seminal vesicles, ejaculatory ducts and the peripheral portion of the prostate were maintained. Median followup was 90.5 months (range 10-228).

Results: Out of 28 patients 6 died of bladder cancer (all with metastases, 2 also with local recurrence); 4 out of the 22 patients who were free of disease at followup died of other causes. Potency was preserved in 26 patients (92.8%), reporting satisfactory sexual intercourses; 15 patients (53.5%) also maintained antegrade ejaculation allowing procreation in 3 cases. In one patient the orthotopic neobladder according to Camey I was converted into an ileal conduit because of the excessive capacity of the reservoir, high post-void residual and recurrent pyelonephritis. Of the remaining 27 patients 16 showed both daytime and nighttime urinary continence (average interval between micturitions = 3 hours), 6 were continent during the day and 5 performed self-intermittent catheterization.

Conclusion: Supra-ampullar cystectomy with detubularized ileal orthotopic neobladder allows to preserve sexual function in nearly all the cases and to maintain urinary continence in most patients, without compromising oncological outcome. The indication must be restricted to highly selected cases, without potential risk of local recurrences and concomitant prostatic carcinoma.