Quality of Life and Postoperative Complications of Single- or Bilateral-stoma Cutaneous Ureterostomy Compared to Ileal Conduit After Radical Cystectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

[OBJECTIVE] To compare postoperative complications and quality of life among patients undergoing ileal conduit (IC), single-stoma cutaneous ureterostomy (SSCU), and bilateral-stoma cutaneous ureterostomy (BSCU) following radical cystectomy for MIBC.

[METHOD] This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 6.2 and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. A comprehensive literature search was performed on PubMed, Cochrane, Wiley, and Scopus starting from April 11, 2025.

[RESULT] Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. IC showed significantly better physical QoL based on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy scores (standardized mean difference: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.02-1.24; P=.04), particularly compared to BSCU (MD: 18.43; P<.0001), with no significant difference versus SSCU. However, IC had a higher risk of wound infection (OR: 3.02; P=.004) and early pyelonephritis (OR: 3.04; P=.02), especially when compared to SSCU. No significant differences were observed in ileus or wound dehiscence.

[CONCLUSION] IC may offer better physical QoL, particularly over BSCU. However, SSCU offers similar QoL with lower rates of infection and pyelonephritis.