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Overview
If you have had a radical cystectomy as treatment for bladder cancer, a urinary diversion is needed so your body can store and pass urine.
Your surgeon will recommend a type of urinary diversion for you. The most common type of urinary diversion is a urostomy, which creates an opening (called a stoma) so that urine drains into a bag attached the outside of the abdomen.
Your treatment team will help you adjust to living with a urinary diversion.
If you have surgery to remove the bladder (radical cystectomy), you will need another way to collect and store urine. This is known as a urinary diversion. It is a major change, and your treatment team will offer support to help you adjust.
Your surgeon will talk to you about the best type of urinary diversion for you. They will recommend one of the following options:
- Urostomy – This is the most common type of urinary diversion. It creates a new opening to your urinary system. Urine will drain into a bag attached to the outside of the abdomen.
- Neobladder – This is a new bladder made from your small bowel. The neobladder is placed in the same area as your original bladder.
- Continent urinary diversion – This procedure creates a pouch from your small bowel to hold urine until you are ready to drain it.
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