ObjectiveTo describe a robot-assisted intracorporeal pyramid neobladder reconstruction technique and report operative and perioperative metrics, postoperative upper tract imaging, neobladder functional outcomes, and oncological outcomes. Patients and MethodsIn all, 20 patients (19 male and one female) with a mean (SD; range) age of 57.2 (12.4; 31.0-78.2) years underwent robotassisted radical cystectomy (RARC). Most cases were ≤pT1 (17 patients) and the remaining three patients had muscleinvasive bladder cancer (MIBC) at RARC histopathology. Although half of the patients (10) actually had MIBC at transurethral resection histopathology. All patients underwent RARC, bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy, and intracorporeal neobladder formation using a pyramid detubularised folding pouch configuration. ResultsThe median estimated blood loss was 250 mL and operating time was 5.5 h. The mean (SD) number of lymph nodes removed was 16.5 (7.8) and median hospital stay was 10 days. Early postoperative complications included urinary tract infection (UTI) (four patients), ileus (four), diarrhoea and vomiting (three), postoperative collection (two), and blocked stent (one). Late postoperative complications included UTI (seven patients), neobladder stone (two), voiding Hem-o-Loc (two), neobladder leak (two), diarrhoea and vomiting (one), uretero-ileal stricture (one), vitamin B12 deficiency (one), and port-site hernia (one). There was no evidence of hydronephrosis in 18 patients with a median follow-up of 21.5 months. At 24 months, recurrence-free survival was 86% and overall survival was 100%. In all, 19 patients and 13 patients reported 6-month day time and night time continence, respectively. ConclusionsThe pyramid neobladder is technically feasible using a robotic platform and provides satisfactory functional outcomes at median of 21.5 months.

OBJECTIVE To assess the use of sodium pentosan polysulphate (SPP) for haemorrhagic cystitis (HC), a potentially life‐threatening side‐effect in patients treated with pelvic radiotherapy or cyclophosphamide, and which can be difficult to manage as patients often have significant comorbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between September 1991 and December 2000, 60 consecutive patients (24 women and 36 men) with haemorrhagic cystitis were primarily treated with SPP; 53 patients had had radical radiotherapy for pelvic malignancy and seven systemic cyclophosphamide. All patients were screened for blood dyscrasia and residual/primary urothelial malignancy with imaging, urine cytology and cystoscopy. RESULTS In all, 51 patients were available for follow‐up; the median (range) interval between completing treatment and developing haematuria was 4.5 (0.08–39.4) years, the duration of treatment 180 (21–1745) days and patients were followed for 450 (19–4526) days from the onset of haematuria. All patients were started on SPP at an initial dose of 100 mg three times daily. In 21 patients the dose was gradually reduced to a maintenance dose of 100 mg and in 10 further patients SPP was stopped because the haematuria stopped completely. Twenty patients died while on treatment from causes not directly related to their haematuria. CONCLUSION We recommend the use of SPP as the primary method of managing haemorrhagic cystitis associated with pelvic radiotherapy or systemic chemotherapy.

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The incidence of diabetes continues to increase dramatically; this incidence is predominantly of the type‐2 form which clusters together with other comorbidities of hypertension and lipid abnormalities, to form the metabolic syndrome. These conditions will have an increasing impact on urological practice, with erectile dysfunction, hypogonadism, voiding difficulties and urinary tract infections all more common in these patients. These symptoms might be the initial presentation of previously undiagnosed diabetes and it is important to recognise this condition early to avoid later complications including end‐stage renal failure.