Just a quick comment.....a choice of which diversion to request is a highly personal one. You may make a choice but when the surgery is underway the urologist may discover that an individual's situation may make that choice impossible, with an ileal conduit being the only possibility.
As many people have posted under other threads, the MOST IMPORTANT THING is the expertise of the surgeon. You should pick one who does many of the procedures a year.....25 to 35 if possible. We have seen many examples where a patient is told that the ileal conduit is the only diversion appropriate for that patient, when the reality is that this is the only one that surgeon is competent to do!! There is a reason that many patients seek second opinions and end up having their surgery "elsewhere."
The Indiana pouch is well and thriving on the West Coast...maybe not at VA Hospitals. I know multiple people who have this diversion and have had no unexpected problems. It does require an experienced surgeon, as does the neobladder which is even more complicated.
Neobladders are great...when they work. For anatomical reasons, they are more problematic in women while men tend to have much more successful results.
So much for my "brief" comments!!
Crusher, looks as if you have done your homework for the best personal choice for you. Others' mileage may vary.
Sara Anne
