Continent catheterizable urinary channels: Lessons for lifelong urological care from a comparative analysis of very long-term complications and revision-free survival of three different types

INTRODUCTION: Continent catheterizable channels (CCC) provide an alternative route to the bladder in both pediatric and adult patients. This study compared very long-term complications and revision-free survival of three different CCC techniques: appendicovesicostomy (AVS), ileum (Monti), and tubularized bladder flap (TBF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Data from adult patients with CCC under surveillance at our academic tertiary referral urological center in 2020 and 2021 were collected. Both patients who acquired the CCC as a child and as an adult were included. The primary outcome was revision-free survival of the three CCC types. The secondary outcome was the prevalence of complications requiring surgical revision. Revisions were categorized as major (open subfascial or complete revisions) and minor (open suprafascial or endoscopic).

RESULTS: We included 173 CCCs (AVS 90, Monti 51, TBF 32). Median follow-up was 12.4 years (4.8-18). Mean revision-free survival was 162 ± 13 months, with no significant difference between the three types. Ninety-two individual CCCs (53%) required surgical revision and a total of 157 surgical revisions were performed. Seventy CCCs (40%) required major surgical revision: AVS (27/90%-30%), Monti (31/51%-61%), TBF (12/32%-38%).

CONCLUSION: Complications of CCCs are common; in this study with very long-term follow-up, more than half of CCCs required surgical revision. Revisions were more common in Monti channels compared with AVS and TBF. The mean revision-free survival of >13 years illustrates the sustained long-term durability of CCCs which is important in the lifelong urological care of this population with high life expectancy.