The invaginated sleeve technique for a continent cystostomy--five years' clinical experience

To evaluate the invaginated sleeve technique for continent cystostomy in humans.

Over the past 5 years six patients have undergone this operative procedure. An essential principle utilized in the technique is the property of partial thickness bladder grafts to stretch longitudinally, so that each tubularized pedicle graft could be directed transmurally and extended extravesically to reach the skin of the lower abdominal wall. As a consequence a urothelial-lined tract, both extravesically and through the bladder wall, was provided for intermittent self-catheterization.

Apart from one woman, whose cystostomy tract was disrupted by inappropriate catheterization in the immediate post-operative period to attempt to stop leakage through exposed fenestrations in the suprapubic stent, this procedure provided robust, continent catheterizing routes for all patients for periods of 63, 52, 12, 7 and 1.5 months respectively. Two patients developed discrete stenoses at their mucocutaneous junctions at 3 and 5 months which were corrected easily.

This simple, minimally morbid technique, which avoids the use of non-urinary tract epithelial structures and maintains bladder capacity, is strongly recommended for patients who need to practise clean intermittent self-catheterization and for whom the urethral route is impracticable.