Cystectomy Overview
More than 50,000 cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. For many individuals battling this cancer, a full or partial cystectomy may be the recommended treatment option. A cystectomy is a surgical procedure that removes all or a part of the urinary bladder. Bladder cancers in the early phases can typically be treated with chemotherapy and radiation while cancers in the latter stages will require a partial or full cystectomy. Once a person’s bladder is removed, a new method must be created so that urine can be collected. In almost all cases, the patient will be required to wear an external bag that is connected to a stoma (which is an opening through the abdominal wall connected to a tube that is connected to the ureters. This bag is worn under the clothes to conceal it while it handles urination collection. There are other conditions (such as advanced endometriosis) that will also require the cystectomy procedure.