A series of 185 patients, 133 males and 52 females, were treated by ileal conduit urinary diversion in the past 17 years. The patients ranged in age from 7 months to 81 years with an average of 59 years. Diversions were performed for malignant diseases in 174 patients, 85% of whom underwent a simultaneous radical surgery. The follow-up covered the postoperative period from 4 months to 16 years 8 months with an average of 4 years 8 months. Six patients (3%) died within 1 month of operation, and 43 of a total of 58 mortal cases died of cancer thereafter. The survival rates of 143 patients with bladder cancer were 84% for 1 year, 72% for 3 years, 67% for 5 years, 62% for 10 years and 54% for 15 years. Early complications were noticed in 38% of the patients. Delayed wound healing due to local infection (20%) and intestinal obstruction (10%) were the two major complications in this period. Late complications were encountered in 51% of the patients. Mild peristomal dermatitis (22%) and gradually developing renal complications (22%) are two major problems in the standard ileal conduit urinary diversion. The latter was significantly more frequent in patients who underwent the operation between 1973 and 1981 than in those who had the surgery between 1982 and 1989. Postoperative hydronephrosis was observed in 15 (13%) of 117 patients who showed normal urograms preoperatively. Ileoureteral reflux was observed in 50% of the cases with nonobstructing conduits, while it increased up to 70% along with obstruction of the conduit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)