Urinary diversions for benign and oncologic indications: what did we learn about short term complications in the last 24 months?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Urinary diversion (UD) with or without cystectomy is a procedure with high short term complication rates. In this review, we summarize the most relevant findings of the last 2 years. RECENT FINDINGS: The use of a prophylactic mesh decreases the risk of parastomal hernia after ileal conduit (IC) surgery without adding mesh-related complications according to a recent randomized multicentre trial. Robot-assisted surgery is increasingly applied for UD and is evolving from extra- to intra-corporeal reconstruction in both continent and incontinent diversions, but there is still a need for appropriately designed studies assessing both short- and long-term complications. Promising techniques to decrease ureterointestinal stricture rates have been reported from small series, such as retrosigmoid placement of the proximal IC to avoid transpositioning of the left ureter, or in robot-assisted surgery the use of indocyanine green with near-infrared light to improve visualisation of distal ureteral viability. SUMMARY: Most recent reports derive from observational data. Appropriate randomized studies are warranted for the evaluation of new techniques to be implemented in a surgical area that still is associated with high complication rates