Prospective evaluation of health-related quality of life after radical cystectomy: focus on peri- and postoperative complications

To analyse the impact of perioperative complications and complex treatment courses on postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after radical cystectomy (RC) and continent (ONB) or incontinent (IC) urinary diversion at multiple prospective time points. A total of 121 consecutive patients underwent RC with curative intent between 2013 and 2014. HRQOL was prospectively assessed preoperatively, after 3 and 12 months, using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire. The impact of complex perioperative treatment courses including cases requiring surgical re-interventions was retrospectively assessed using Martin criteria and the Clavien–Dindo scale. Urinary continence was determined using the validated ICIQ-SF questionnaire. Statistical analysis included Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA, Spearman’s rank correlation, and ordinal regression models (p