Indications to one-stage and delayed urethrectomy after radical cystectomy in patients with invasive cancer of the urinary bladder

Our aim was to determine indications for urethrectomy in patients with muscle-invasive cancer of the urinary bladder (UBC) which is essential for choice of urine derivation. A total of 51 patients with invasive UBC at the age of 33-78 years (mean age 60 years) were treated: 7 patients with pT2bN0M0, 1 patient with pT2bNlM0, 18 patients with pT3aN0M0, 3 patients with pT3aNlM0, 14 patients with pT3bN0M0, 6 patients with pT4aN0M0, 2 patients with pT4bN0M0. Urethrectomy was indicated for men with involvement of the prostatic urethra (stage t4a) and urinary bladder cervix, multiple tumors of the bladder, pelvic lymph node lesions, detection of tumor cells by instant biopsy in the free urethral edge, poor differentiation of the tumor (G3) in combination with one of the above factors, emergence of urethrorrhagia late after cystectomy; for women with involvement of the bladder cervix and Lieutaud's triangle in combination with poor differentiation of the tumor cells (G3). Cystectomy was followed by urine derivation of the following type: uretero-ureteroanastomosis with nephrostomy (n = 2), ureterocutaneostomy (n = 3), Briker's operation (n = 22), ureterosygmoanastomosis with creation of sigmoid reservoir (method Mainz pouch II) (n = 21), Studer orthotopic plastic reconstruction (n = 2) and Hautmann plastic surgery (n = 1). Urethrectomy was made in 16 patients. One-stage operation was conducted in 14 patients (suprapubic approach - 8 males, perineal one - in 6 females). Delayed urethrectomy was made in 2 patients. Intra- and postoperative complications caused by urethral removal were absent. Corrected 2-year survival for all 51 patients was 70.8± 11.3%. Among the deceased were 2 patients who had undergone urethrectomy at the stage T2b and T4a 5 and 8 months after primary operation, respectively. Thus, we believe that urethrectomy must be made in the above indications and poor differentiation of the tumor cells (G3).