In situ tunneled bowel flap tubes: 2 new techniques of a continent outlet for Mainz pouch cutaneous diversion

Abstract

In Mainz pouch continent cutaneous urinary diversion, introduction of the in situ tunneled appendix as the continent outlet in 1990 has simplified the surgical technique and greatly increased the acceptance of the procedure. Based on the results of long-term animal studies, 2 new techniques of a continent outlet were randomly used with a Mainz pouch 1 procedure (ileocecal pouch) in 17 patients in whom the appendix was not available or usable for construction of a continent outlet. According to the flap valve principle of the tunneled appendix, in 17 patients a small caliber conduit was created from large bowel wall at the lower pole of the cecum and was tunneled in situ under the mucosa. In technique 1 (seromuscular bowel flap tube), a tube lined by serosa was created from a pedicled island flap of large bowel wall in 11 patients. In technique 2 (full thickness bowel flap tube), a tube lined by mucosa was created from a pedicled flap of large bowel wall in 6 patients. After a mean followup of 8 months (range 2 to 17) 16 of 17 patients catheterize the reservoir at intervals of 4 to more than 6 hours using 14 to 16F catheters and are continent day and night without leakage. The only major complication in this series was incontinence in 1 patient with a seromuscular bowel flap tube who died of metastatic tumor 6 months postoperatively.