Bladder Cancer Treatment: Bladder Removal Surgery - Urology Care Foundation

Being told you have muscle-invasive bladder cancer can be very scary. However, your doctor and medical team are there to help. Your treatment choices will depend on how much your cancer has grown, and can involve bladder removal with chemotherapy or without chemotherapy. #BladdersMatter #UrologyCareFoundation #BladderCancer

For more facts about bladder removal surgery and bladder health, visit UrologyHealth.org.

What is a Bladder Removal (also called Cystectomy)?

A cystectomy is the surgical removal of the bladder.There are two types of cystectomy: partial cystectomy and radical cystectomy.

Partial Cystectomy
For partial cystectomy, the tumor is surgically removed and the remaining bladder is sewn back together. A partial cystectomy is done only in very specific cases.

Radical Cystectomy
A radical cystectomy is when the entire bladder is surgically removed. This is the more
common treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Because the cancer has grown into the muscle, the doctor will remove:
• The whole bladder
• Nearby lymph nodes
• Part of the urethra
• and the prostate in men
• The uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes and part of the vagina (in women). Other nearby tissues may also be removed.

Because the bladder is removed, the urine must be diverted using a piece of intestine, and this is performed surgically during the bladder removal (radical cystectomy).

Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection
Bladder cancer can spread to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are the fatty tissue around the pelvic blood vessels. For a pelvic lymph node dissection, the lymph nodes of the pelvis are surgically removed.

A pelvic lymph node dissection is used to find out if the cancer has spread beyond the bladder into the lymph nodes and is believed to be an important part of the operation. A pelvic lymph node dissection may also be done to treat cancer if it is only in the lymph nodes.

Bladder Removal Surgery
Your bladder can be removed by a robotic or an open approach. There is no major difference between the two. A robotic approach uses computers and small instruments to aid the surgeon during the procedure, resulting in smaller incisions. In the open approach, the doctor makes one larger cut in the middle of the abdomen to remove the bladder.

Bladder Removal Recovery & Side Effects

You may have side effects after most Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer treatments. Here is some of what you may expect:

• Pain
• Change in bowel function
• Leaks — from the stoma (opening)
• Infections
• Hot flashes
• Sex and fertility issues- make sure you talk with your surgeon about how your sexual function and ability to have a child may be changed by the operation.

Routine follow-up is very important! Be sure to follow-up with your health care provider, as they will need to assess you for some time after surgery. Assessments can include some or all of the following:

• Imaging (such as a CT scan) about every 6-12 months for 2-3 years; and then once a year.
• Laboratory tests every 3-6 months for 2-3 years; and then once per year after. Kidney and liver function tests will be a part of these tests.
• Assessment for quality of life issues such as urinary symptoms and sexual function.

• Category

  Cancer