Early postoperative complications and 90-day mortality in patients undergoing radical cystectomy

Abstract

Introduction: The standard treatment method of muscle-invasive bladder cancer is radical cystectomy. This complex procedure consists of removing the urinary bladder with distal ureters and regional lymph nodes. Additionally, the prostate with seminal vesicles in men and uterus with ovaries in women should be excised. Therefore, this demanding oncological surgery is associated with a high occurrence of complications. The aim of this study was to assess the complications after radical cystectomy and identify the factors associated with severe complications and high mortality rate. Materials/Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical data of 213 patients who underwent a radical cystectomy. Preoperative risk factors were assessed based on American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (ASA) and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Clavien-Dindo classification was also included in our analysis. We investigated various factors associated with 30-day and 90-day mortality. Results: Complications after surgery were reported in 38% (n = 81) of patients in the studied group. Excluding perioperative high fever, the complication rate was 18%. The following complications were observed in 30-day postoperative period: wound infection (n = 6), wound dehiscence (n = 4), mechanical bowel obstruction (n = 3), hemorrhage (n = 2), cardiological (n = 8), stroke (n = 3). Observed 30-day mortality was 2.3% (n = 5), while 90-day mortality was 8.9% (n = 19). The mortality rate was associated with the stage of cancer and the type of urinary diversion. Conclusions: Radical cystectomy is a complex and traumatic urological surgery. It is associated with a significant complication rate and mortality, and it negatively affects quality of life. Therefore, all known risk factors should be thoroughly assessed preoperatively to select optimal treatment. Furthermore, the patient should be carefully informed about the risks associated with the surgery.