Continent, nonrefluxing urinary reservoir constructed from ileum: report of two cases

Most procedures for diverting urine sacrifice continence, but Kock's modification of the ileal conduit promises the ideal of appliance-free urine storage with voluntary control of emptying. The authors report on two men who underwent this procedure. One was a paraplegic who had total urinary incontinence after a sphincterotomy. The other had a carcinoma of the rectosigmoid obstructing the right ureter. He had congenital bladder exstrophy and had undergone ureteric implantation into the sigmoid colon at 3 years of age. In both patients, the reservoir was created from an isolated 60-cm segment of the middle portion of small bowel. Two nipple valves were created - one to prevent reflux and one to provide continence of urine. Follow-up was 27 and 17 months respectively. One patient had his outlet valve revised because of sliding and incontinence. He is now completely continent of urine and he intubates his reservoir three to four times daily. Postoperatively, the second patient had a leak at the ureteroileal anastomosis, but this healed spontaneously. The continent urinary diversion is a major intestinal operation and should not be performed in conjunction with exenteration. It should be confined to a few centres where greater experience can be accumulated.