How To Treat Bladder Cancer Effectively

Urinary Division

After an individual affected by bladder cancer has a radical cystectomy to remove the bladder because of malignancy, a new path or mechanism has to be created for the urine to be able to leave their body. There are three ways this can be accomplished or three types of urinary diversion. Neobladder reconstruction is a method that involves using a piece of the patient's intestine to make a sphere shaped reservoir referred to as a neobladder. This method allows the patient to urinate normally because the neobladder is placed inside of the body and is directly attached to their urethra. An ileal conduit is a method of urinary diversion that involves using a piece of the patient's intestine to create a tube structure. The tube structure attaches to the patient's ureters and runs to the exterior of their body. This mechanism allows the urine to flow out of the kidneys, into the ureters, and through the tube structure into an external pouch called a urostomy bag. This urostomy bag is worn on the abdomen and emptied several times a day. A continent urinary reservoir is a type of urinary diversion that involves creating a small pouch to hold urine out of the patient's intestine that stays inside of the body. This pouch has a direct opening to the outside of the abdomen where a catheter is used to drain it several times a day.