Perioperative Complications and Mortality in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma and End-Stage Renal Disease Undergoing One-Stage Complete Urinary Tract Extirpation

Background: Complete urinary tract extirpation (CUTE) is a complex procedure with substantial risk for perioperative complications. The association between clinical characteristics and the risk of major postoperative complications has not been systematically investigated. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and risks for major perioperative complications after CUTE. Methods: Respective chart review of 81 patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who were treated with one-stage CUTE between January 2004 and December 2015. Fisher’s exact test with Chi square and two-tailed t test were used in categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the probability of major complications. Results: In this population, 53 (65.4%) patients had Clavien grade 0–2 complications (‘no major complications’) and 28 (34.6%) patients had Clavien grade 3–5 complications (‘major complications’). Compared with the major complications group, patients in the no major complications group were younger, had lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), higher preoperative serum albumin, and shorter duration of hospitalization (p < 0.05 for all). Major complications were more common in low-volume surgeons (p = 0.002). On multivariate logistic regression analyses, CCI ≥ 5 (odds ratio [OR] 6.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42–27.47; p = 0.015) and surgery by a provider who performed three or fewer cases during the study interval (OR 13.4, 95% CI 2.20–80.89; p = 0.005) were independent predictors for major complications. Conclusions: High CCI should alert providers to increased probability of major complications, and warrant vigilant management after CUTE. Surgeon volume was inversely related to major postoperative complications.