The unheralded hazard of ureterosigmoidostomy

Patients with ureterosigmoid urinary diversions always have some anal leakage of a malodorous mixture of feces and urine, especially at night or when passing gas. They obtain limited continence only by consciously keeping their buttocks tensed toegher. Their unusually high elimination frequency weds them to a bathroom for the rest of their lives. The universal prevalence of this truly severe burden of liquid fecal incontinence, which a patient is asked to bear after ureterosigmoidostomy diversion, is not well recognized and should be clearly revealed to the patient before a choice of procedure is made.