Cystectomy is a surgery that treats muscle-invasive bladder cancer by removing all or a portion of the bladder.

• In a radical cystectomy, the entire bladder is removed, as well as nearby lymph nodes and pelvic organs (hysterectomy also performed with women/ prostatectomy also performed with men). This is followed by reconstructive surgery to create a urinary diversion, or a new way for the body to store and release urine. Fox Chase urologic surgeons are adept at both traditional and robot-assisted radical cystectomy techniques.
• Very select patients may be able to have a partial cystectomy, in which only the portion of the bladder affected by cancer is removed and the function of the maintained bladder can be preserved.