Abstract
PURPOSE: Although ureteral stents have significantly reduced perioperative complications of urinary diversion, there is no universal agreement regarding their postoperative management. As part of an effort to eliminate unnecessary studies and hospital costs for radical cystectomy, we recently reviewed our experience with postoperative radiological stent studies to determine their clinical use and cost. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective examination of medical records and radiographic studies was performed for 96 patients undergoing cystectomy and urinary reconstruction between 1989 and 1996. All patients were stented at the time of surgery. Of the patients 51 underwent bilateral retrograde "stentograms" performed under fluoroscopic guidance before stent removal to evaluate for obstruction or urine leak as dictated by the preference of the primary surgeon in each case. A total of 41 evaluable patients did not undergo stentograms. RESULTS: In this study 102 stent injections were performed on 51 patients before stent removal. No patients were found to have ureteral obstruction at the ureterointestinal anastomosis, while 1 (0.98%) had a clinically silent anastomotic leak that healed with conservative measures. Complications directly attributable to the stent studies, including episodes of urosepsis, were noted in 9 patients (17.6%). Nine additional leaks were diagnosed in this cohort by other means. Half of all leaks were evident clinically and 60% of this group required further invasive procedures. All clinically silent leaks healed with conservative measures. Of 41 evaluable patients who did not undergo stentograms leak following stent removal developed in only 2 and both healed with conservative measures. The additional cost of detecting a single anastomotic leak with routine stentograms is estimated to be $58,000. CONCLUSIONS: Routine evaluation of the ureterointestinal anastomosis with stentograms before stent removal is unnecessary, costly and may in fact increase patient morbidity.