[Follow-up after surgical replacement of the urinary bladder (urinary diversion)]

Surgical replacement of the urinary bladder is usually necessary after radical cystectomy for muscle invasive bladder cancer. Besides uro-oncological follow-up (local, urethral, and systemic recurrence; tumor in the upper tract) functional follow-up of the urinary diversion is indicated. Guidelines are still scarce. Long contact time and large surface area in continent pouches made from long intestinal segments lead to absorption of contents of urine and thus to acidosis and imbalances in serum electrolytes. Compensation depends on renal function. Exclusion of long ileal segments out of the intestinal passage may lead to malabsorption of Vitamin B12 and bile acids. 30 % and more of long-term survivors with continent pouches take Vitamin B12 and sodium bicarbonate. Special attention has to be paid to obstruction of the upper urinary tract, total renal function and to secondary malignancy in the bladder substitute. For the latter, sigma-rectum pouches, augmentation cystoplasties and continent pouches with incorporation of colonic segments are at special risk. Functional follow-up affords good understanding of the specific complications of the different types of urinary diversions.