Radical Cystectomy in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of Post Operative Mortality and Early Complications

Cho, Yung Lae; Cho, Yong Hyun; Yoon, Moon Soo

Abstract

Radical cystectomy is the most common and effective treatment modality for invasive bladder cancer. However, in case of the elderly patient its application accompanies anxieties over the possible mortality and complications. We purposed to analyze the postoperative mortality and early complication of the elderly patients compared to those of non-elderly patients. We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 27 elderly patients, over 70 years of age and 61 non-elderly patients, under 69 years of age who were not at high risk anesthesiologically and underwent radical cystectomies with ileal conduits for invasive bladder cancers during last 11 years. We compared mortality, early complications, and postoperative hospital days between two groups. There was no death related to operation in elderly group, but one of the non-elderly group died of sepsis and DIC(disseminated intravascular coagulation) postoperatively Overall early complications were significantly higher in elderly group(P=0.013). But the major complications that were life threatening or required reoperation revealed no significant difference between two groups. There was no significant difference in postoperative hospital days(16.8 days in elderly group, 16.1 days in non-elderly group) between two groups. In conclusion, radical cystectomy can be performed as an effective and safe modality for the treatment of invasive bladder cancer even in elderly patients if only they are not at high risk anesthesiologically.