Urinary Diversion With vs Without Bowel Anastomosis in Patients With an Existing Colostomy: A Multi-institutional...

To describe the short-term outcomes with the bowel anastomosis (BA) approach vs the no-bowel anastomosis (NBA) approach in adult patients undergoing urinary diversion.

A chart review was performed of adults undergoing urinary diversion from 2006 to 2015. Patients with a pre-existing colostomy were divided into NBA and BA groups. Postoperative complications were recorded per the Clavien-Dindo system. Variables were compared using the BA group as a control. A 2-tailed t test was used to compare means.

A total of 43 patients were included: 33 in the BA group and 10 in the NBA. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups for the comorbidity index (P = .16), the body mass index (P = .54), or radiation history (P = .90). In the NBA and BA groups, the median blood loss was 250 and 300 mL (P = .11); the operative time was 550 and 480 minutes (P = .15); and the length of stay was 10 and 25 days (P = .38), respectively. The BA group had a higher rate of intraoperative (P = .04) and early (P = .02) overall complications. No significant difference was found in early bowel (P = .15) or ureteral obstruction (P = .08), in the overall stomal complications (P = .11), or in the rate of <90-day reoperation (P = .32).

A lower rate of intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in patients undergoing conversion of colostomy to a urinary diversion compared with patients with de novo urinary conduit creation. When possible, a BA should be avoided.