Health related quality of life after radical cystectomy: comparative study between orthotopic sigmoid versus ileal...

To comparatively assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between patients with sigmoid and ileal neobladders (NBs) following radical cystectomy.

At out institution, the HRQOL of all patients with an orthotopic NB was evaluated using a Short-Form 36 (SF-36) survey 12 months after surgery. Of these, this study included 212 patients, consisting of 88 with sigmoid NB and 124 with ileal NB.

There were no significant differences in all eight scores between sigmoid and ileal NB groups (SNBG and INBG, respectively); however, when compared with the scores in an age-matched control in Japan, one and two scores in SNBG and INBG, respectively, were significantly inferior, whereas one score in INBG was significantly favorable. Despite the lack of any significant differences in all scores between male SNBG and INBG, three scores in female SNBG were significantly superior to those in female INBG. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the contribution of several factors on each scale score in the SF-36 survey, and they revealed that the age and voiding status had independent impacts on two and three scores, respectively, despite the lack of an independent association between any scores and the remaining factors, including the type of NB.

The postoperative HRQOL of patients with NB was shown to be generally favorable irrespective of the type of NB; however, the HRQOL, particularly that associated with physical and social functions, appeared to be significantly impaired in elderly patients and/or those not able to spontaneously void.