Genitourinary complications of abdominoperineal resection

The genitourinary complications of 86 consecutive cases of abdominoperineal resection at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center are described. Vesical dysfunction was the most common problem, occurring in 11 patients in our series. Eight required prostatectomy for urinary retention. The significance and treatment of vesical dysfunction is somewhat controversial, but an attempt to document the cause should be made in every case. Voiding symptoms and results of intravenous urogram with postvoiding films, cystogram, cystometrogram, and cystoscopy are diagnostically pertinent. Accordingly, preoperative urologic evaluation is indispensable to proper treatment of rectosigmoid carcinoma.