Preparing for Cystectomy Removal of the Bladder

Preadmission, Surgery, and the first 8 Weeks

  • Scheduled for Surgery
    • Preadmission Testing
  • Day of Surgery
  • Overnight Hospital Stay
  • Blood Clot Prevention Protocols
  • Discharge from the Hospital
    • Supplies
    • Home visit nurses
  • Indiana Pouch & Neobladder
  • Kegel Exercises
  • Neobladder
    • self-catheterize
    • urinating
  • Ileal Conduit
    • bedside
More on:

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.