Comparison of 90-day complications between ileal conduit and neobladder reconstruction after radical cystectomy: a retrospective multi-institutional study in Japan.

Objective: To determine the differences in the type, incidence, and severity of 90-day morbidity after radical cystectomy between two different methods of urinary diversion, ileal conduit and neobladder.

Methods: We carried out a retrospective multi-institutional study by reviewing the records of 668 patients treated with open radical cystectomy, and ileal conduit (n = 493) or neobladder substitution (n = 175) between 1997 and 2010. All complications within 90 days after surgery were divided into 11 specific categories as reported by the Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and graded according to the modified Clavien system. Type, incidence and severity of the 90-day morbidity between the two different types of urinary diversions were compared.

Results: There was no significant difference in the overall complication rates between the two groups (ileal conduit: 72% [353/493], neobladder: 74% [129/175], P = 0.5909), whereas the neobladder group had fewer major (grade 3 or more) complications (13 vs 20%, respectively, P = 0.0271). The neobladder group had more infectious complications (43 vs 31%, respectively, P = 0.0037), mainly as a result of urinary tract infection, whereas the ileal conduit group had more wound-related complications (24 vs 14%, respectively, P = 0.0068), mainly as a result of surgical site infection. The 90-day mortality rates were 1.1% (2/175) in the neobladder group and 1.6% (8/493) in the ileal conduit group (P = 0.6441).

Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the overall complication rates between the two methods, and patients with neobladder had fewer major complications. The neobladder group had more infectious complications, whereas the ileal conduit group had more wound-related complications.