The purpose of the study was to investigate to what extent ileal conduit urinary diversion influenced patients' capacity to work. Sixty-sex urostomy patients were interviewed. Forty-seven of those were employed before surgery. Sixteen of 47 patients (34%) made permanent changes in their working conditions immediately after surgery, i.e. they did not resume work or they changed from full-time to part-time work. The working conditions changed in similar ways for another 15 patients who initially had been able to resume. Bladder cancer patients were more likely to work less than patients with incontinence/bladder dysfunction. Nineteen patients obtained disability pension either immediately after surgery or later. Eight of those considered stoma related problems, mainly leakage, as the main reason for inability to work. Diagnosis, gender, and type of work did not seem to affect the frequency of disability pension.