Bladder Cancer

Surgery is used to treat most stages of bladder cancer.

• Reference Transurethral resection (TUR) is surgery done through the urethra. A thin, lighted tube called a cystoscope is used to remove or destroy tumors in the bladder.
• Reference Cystectomy is surgery to remove the bladder.
  • Partial cystectomy removes only part of the bladder. It is used to treat cancer that has invaded the bladder wall in just one area.
  • Simple cystectomy removes all of the bladder.
  • Radical cystectomy removes all of the bladder as well as nearby lymph nodes, part of the urethra, and nearby organs that may contain cancer.
• Urinary diversion is surgery that makes a new way for your body to store urine. This can be done with a pouch created inside your body from part of your intestines, called a continent reservoir. Or the surgeon may make an artificial opening, called an ileal conduit, and you will wear a flat bag to store urine outside your body.

What to think about

Side effects from your surgery can include bowel problems such as constipation or diarrhea. Your ability to have or enjoy sexual intercourse may also be affected.

Reference Adhesions Opens New Window may develop after surgery. And a Reference bowel obstruction Opens New Window may occur as a complication if surgery was extensive.

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