Fistula between external iliac artery and ileal conduit after radical cystectomy: a life-threatening complication.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To present a rare complication of an iliac artery to ileal conduit fistula after radical cystectomy. METHODS: A 74 year-old man with muscle invasive bladder cancer was submitted for robotic radical cystectomy with intracorporeal ileal conduit. Twenty-four days after surgery he was readmitted due to an active bleeding from the ileal conduit. RESULTS: CT-Scan showed an arterial fistula between the external iliac artery and the ileal conduit. The emergency procedure done was an artery ligation, bilateral cutaneous ureterostomy and extra-anatomic femoro-femoral bypass. CONCLUSIONS: A fistula from the external iliac artery to the ileal conduit is a rare and serious complication in the Bricker type urinary diversion, with only 7 cases reported in the international literature.