Bladder augmentation

This paper reviews bladder augmentation, which has been proved to be an effective way of providing a well functioning urine reservoir that protects the upper urinary tract and allows patients to have a good quality of life. Good results have been achieved with the use of all types of bowel segments. Lifetime follow-up and recognition of the complications is mandatory. Very careful patient selection is essential in order to achieve better long-term results. The principle of urothelial preservation, introduced by autoaugmentation, is very promising in the effort to create a compliant urinary reservoir without metabolic disturbance and without the risk of cancer.