Cutaneous ureterostomy as a permanent external urinary diversion in children.

Permanent cutaneous ureterostomy was used in 20 children between 1967 and 1980. The result was excellent in 15 cases (75 per cent) and acceptable in 2 (10 per cent), with better results for those patients who underwent cutaneous ureterostomy with transureteroureterostomy. Upon reviewing our 3 failures and 8 from another group it became clear that the amount of ureteral dilatation present preoperatively was inadequate for this type of diversion in 5 of the 11 cases. Overall, poor results were common in patients less than 2 years old and in those with recurrent symptomatic infection or impaired renal function before diversion. There was no late deterioration, since the onset of problems always occurred within 3 years of diversion.