Sutures and Wound Repair/ General Surgery (ABSA) Practice Test

For which condition is the ileal conduit commonly performed?

1. Incontinence

2. Bladder cancer

3. Chronic kidney disease

4. Colon resection

The correct answer is: Bladder cancer

An ileal conduit is a surgical procedure commonly performed for patients diagnosed with bladder cancer. This procedure involves removing the bladder and creating a new way for urine to exit the body, utilizing a segment of the ileum, which is part of the small intestine. The urine is diverted from the ureters into this segment and then out through a stoma created on the abdominal wall. Bladder cancer often necessitates such a procedure due to the need for complete removal of cancerous tissue to prevent the spread of the disease and to ensure a new means of urinary excretion. The ileal conduit thus serves as an effective means to manage urinary diversion in these patients. The other conditions listed, such as incontinence, chronic kidney disease, and colon resection, do not typically require an ileal conduit. While incontinence might be treated through various surgical or non-surgical procedures, it does not necessitate the diversion of urine. Chronic kidney disease might involve other forms of urinary management or dialysis rather than an ileal conduit. Lastly, colon resection pertains to surgical interventions involving the large intestine and does not relate to urinary diversion in the same manner as bladder cancer does.