Intubated cutaneous ureterostomy: option for high-risk patients needing supravesical urinary diversion

Failure of primary healing between ureter and skin has led to numerous complications and the virtual abandonment of cutaneous ureterostomy. When an indwelling double-J stent can be maintained, primary healing occurs and good ureterocutaneous anastomoses result. Ostomy training is only slightly more difficult than in patients with an ileal conduit urinary diversion and has presented no major problems. We now favor cutaneous ureterostomy in selected high-risk patients because of the lesser magnitude of this form of supravesical urinary diversion and, especially, because intubation has overcome most of the complications of this procedure.