Advantages of converting incontinent to continent urinary diversion

A modified Mainz pouch with catheterizable stoma was constructed in six patients who had originally undergone incontinent urinary diversion by ureteroileostomy 7 to 22 years previously for bladder exstrophy or neurogenic bladder with total urinary incontinence. The surgical technique differed from the standard as follows: after stomal excision, the preexisting ileal loop was detubularized and combined with additional ileal and colonic segments for pouch construction. In patients in whom the original ureteroileal anastomoses were patent and the contrast medium refluxed freely to the upper urinary tract during loopography, the ureters were not reimplanted but kept intact. In all patients the ileal valve was connected as stroma to the umbilicus. In addition, two patients underwent construction of a standard Mainz pouch. One had had primary ureterosigmoidostomy and the other one ureterostomies, 10 and 3 months previously, respectively. The urodynamic characteristics of the reservoir were normal in all. In six ureteropelvic units dilation improved significantly and in two patients the bilateral loop-ureter reflux diminished. Long-term follow-up (up to 45 months) showed no further impairment of the kidneys.