Is concomitant bladder neck reconstruction necessary in neurogenic incontinent patients who undergo augmentation cystoplasty?

The Current Positioning of Augmentation Enterocystoplasty in the Treatment for Neurogenic Bladder

Augmentation enterocystoplasty (AEC) is a surgical procedure in which the bladder is enlarged using an intestinal segment in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction who fail to achieve satisfactory results with all conservative treatments. Currently, surgical materials and procedures, concomitant correction of upper urinary tract abnormalities, or bladder neck reconstruction may vary depending on the experience and preferences of the surgeons. AEC has been proven to be successful with respect to surgical goals, such as achieving urinary continence, improving quality of life, and preserving the upper urinary tract over the long term. The advantage of AEC over intravesical injection of botulinum toxin—a more recent and less invasive procedure—is that the prevention of upper urinary tract damage and the improvement of urinary incontinence are more reliably guaranteed, especially considering that these surgical effects are permanent. Compared to less invasive treatments, the quality of life of patients after surgery is also much higher, and AEC may be more cost-effective in the long run. Thus, in patients with neurogenic bladder, AEC is still the gold standard surgical procedure with strong evidence in support of its efficacy. In this article, the indications, surgical methods, possible complications, long-term follow-up, and current positioning of AEC in lower urinary tract dysfunction is discussed.

Augmentation cystoplasty in the patient with neurogenic bladder

PURPOSE

To review the indications and techniques of augmentation cystoplasty (AC) in patients with neurogenic bladder (NGB) while also examining the long-term outcomes, complications, and follow-up surgeries.

METHODS

PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for articles related to AC and NGB.

RESULTS

AC is indicated for an overactive or poorly compliant bladder refractory to conservative therapies, such as anticholinergic medications and bladder botulinum toxin injections. A variety of surgical techniques using gastrointestinal segments, alternative tissues, and synthetic materials have been described, though bowel remains the most durable. Ileocystoplasty is the most common type of AC, which uses a detubularized patch of ileum that is anastomosed to a bivalved bladder. Some patients undergo concomitant surgeries at the time of AC, such as catheterizable channel creation to aid with clean intermittent catheterization, ureteral reimplantation to treat vesicoureteral reflux, and bladder outlet procedure to treat incontinence. Following AC, the majority of patients experience an improvement in bladder capacity, compliance, and continence. Most patients also experience an improvement in quality of life. AC has significant complications, such as chronic UTIs, bladder and renal calculi, metabolic disturbances, bowel problems, perforation, and malignancy. AC also has a high rate of follow-up surgeries, especially if the patient undergoes concomitant creation of a catheterizable channel.

CONCLUSIONS

Enterocystoplasty remains the gold standard for AC, though more research is needed to better evaluate the morbidity of different surgical techniques and the indications for concomitant surgeries. Experimental methods of AC with tissue engineering are a promising area for further investigation.

Encouraging Results of Bowel and Bladder Management in Spina Bifida Aperta in South India with Quality of Life Scores in a Tertiary Care Institution in South India

Context

It is often a challenge to counsel parents with children operated for spina bifida aperta in developing countries. Data regarding the efficacy of simple measures and preventive are scarce.

Aims

The aim of this study is to study such children for the incidence, prevalence of bowel bladder dysfunction, and the quality of life (QOL) in children who are involved with a multidisciplinary team in India.

Materials and Methods

All children with spina bifida occulta were followed - QOL questionnaires (PIN Q, modified Barthels activities of daily living , and the visual analog score [VAS]) were used. Interventions, such as clean intermittent catheterization (CIC), bowel enemas, and surgical procedures, were studied.

Results

A total of 68 children were assessed. Twenty-nine of these children over five were evaluated with QOL scores. The prevalence of incontinence of bowel and bladder was studied. The primary outcomes included the QOL scores, and the various surgical options help bowel and bladder management. Hydronephrosis in 17.95% of children <5 years and 65.5% of children over 5 years was noted. Nineteen children were socially independent for their bowel management. The Barthel index and PIN-Q showed a poor QOL in 27.6% and the VAS in 34.5% had the same. This translated to an acceptable QOL for over two-thirds of the children.

Conclusions

Simple procedures and training for bowel management translate to a significant number of children being able to independently manage bowel care. About 30% of children develop hydronephrosis by 5 years; the decision to teach CIC must be made by then. We believe that positive counseling is given to the parents of children with spina bifida aperta as the children are capable of a reasonable QOL.