Subcutaneous pyelovesical bypass as replacement for standard percutaneous nephrostomy for palliative urinary diversion: prospective evaluation of patient's quality of life.

Purpose: To improve the quality of life of patients with palliative definitive percutaneous nephrostomy, we prospectively evaluated a subcutaneous ureteral bypass using a newly designed ureteral prosthesis.

Patients And Methods: A series of 19 patients receiving 27 subcutaneous tubes in replacement for percutaneous nephrostomy were evaluated. The ureteral prosthesis (Detour), a silicone tube glued inside a polyester tube, is inserted percutaneously into the renal pelvis to replace an established nephrostomy, tunneled subcutaneously, and introduced into the bladder through a small incision. All patients were followed every 3 months for 18 months or until death from tumor. Quality of life was assessed using the EORTC QLC-30 questionnaire; ultrasonography, intravenous urography, or both were used to assess the position and patency of the tubes.

Results: There was no failure of insertion and no operative or immediate complication. The mean follow-up was 7.8 months, 6.6 months for the 15 patients who died from their tumors and 1 year for the 4 patients still alive at the end of the study. Suprapubic parietal infection occurred in three patients with altered bladders (radiation cystitis or tumor progression). There was an improvement of the function scale as a result of the elimination of the external percutaneous tube and a parallel worsening of the symptom scale secondary to the progression of disease. Patient ratings of the global quality of life and satisfaction with the urinary diversion were improved because of the absence of the percutaneous tube.

Conclusion: The subcutaneous pyelovesical bypass provides a better quality of life than a standard percutaneous nephrostomy tube in terminally ill patients by making them external-tube free.