[Complications and their management after urinary diversion]

Bladder cancer is a common disease. It is predicted that 11,900 men and 4,500 women in Germany will be diagnosed with invasive bladder cancer in 2014. The cystectomy, which is standard treatment in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, requires urinary diversion.

The goal of this article is to present the complications associated with urinary diversions and their management.

Based on a selective literature search in PubMed and our own clinical experience, the options for urinary diversion and their management are discussed.

In patients treated with curative intent, orthotopic bladder replacement is preferred. In patients with palliative intent, incontinent cutaneous urinary diversion is commonly used. The present work shows the variety of early and late complications, peri-/postoperative mortality, and the management of these patients.

After cystectomy, various methods for urinary diversion are available, which can be used in curative and/or palliative intent. Crucial to the success and the long-term satisfaction of the patients is selection of the right urinary diversion method.