Is cystoplasty a safe alternative to urinary diversion in patients requiring renal transplantation?

The study aimed to assess the methods of urinary drainage in patients requiring renal transplantation in whom the native lower urinary tract was unsuitable. Twenty-one patients had a transplant into an abnormal urinary tract. Eight of them into a cystoplasty, 8 into an ileal conduit and 5 had a cutaneous ureterostomy. All patients transplanted into an ileal conduit (mean follow-up 4.6 years) and into a cutaneous ureterostomy (mean follow-up 3.2 years) have had a satisfactory outcome. Five of 8 patients transplanted into a cystoplasty have had a satisfactory outcome, 2 patients suffered graft loss due to rejection and 1 developed necrosis of cystoplasty following transplantation. In terms of graft survival, excellent results in the medium term were obtained for transplantation with an ileal conduit or cutaneous ureterostomy. Cystoplasty was less successful but was not the direct cause of graft loss in any patient and as such is as safe a technique in patients with end-stage renal failure so long as care is taken to avoid the vascular pedicle at the time of transplantation.