Cystectomy is a medical term for surgical

Surgery

Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...

 removal of all or part of the urinary bladder

Urinary bladder

The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...

. It may also be rarely used to refer to the removal of a cyst

Cyst

A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct membrane and division on the nearby tissue. It may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. A collection of pus is called an abscess, not a cyst. Once formed, a cyst could go away on its own or may have to be removed through surgery.- Locations :* Acne...

, or the gallbladder

Gallbladder

In vertebrates the gallbladder is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. In humans the loss of the gallbladder is usually easily tolerated....

. The most common condition warranting removal of the urinary bladder

Urinary bladder

The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...

 is bladder cancer

Bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...

. After the bladder has been removed, an Ileal conduit urinary diversion

Ileal conduit urinary diversion

An ileal conduit urinary diversion is a surgical technique usually referred to as the Bricker ileal conduit after its inventor, Eugene M. Bricker...

 is necessary. An alternative to this method is to construct a pouch from a section of ileum

Ileum

The ileum is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine may be used instead of ileum.The ileum follows the duodenum...

 or colon

Colon (anatomy)

The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...

, which can act as a form of replacement bladder, storing urine until the patient desires to release it, which can be achieved by either abdominal straining or self catheter

Catheter

In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters thereby allow drainage, administration of fluids or gases, or access by surgical instruments. The process of inserting a catheter is catheterization...

isation.
Future treatment for this condition may involve a full replacement with an artificial bladder.

One of the follow-up solutions to a cystectomy is the creation of a neobladder (one form of which is named Studer's Ileal Neobladder or the Studer Pouch). A neobladder is a loop of intestine

Intestine

In human anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine...

 that is surgically fashioned into a pouch and placed in the location of the original bladder. It is then attached to the ureters and the urethra

Urethra

In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine...

, thus simulating the function of the original organ. The kidneys filter the urine

Urine

Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...

 into the neobladder which can often be emptied by muscle control. There are side effects of this complex surgery, including partial shut down of the digestive system (in response to removal of the piece of intestine), incontinence

Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is any involuntary leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a profound impact on quality of life. Urinary incontinence almost always results from an underlying treatable medical condition but is under-reported to medical practitioners...

, and the loss of the nerves that signal a full bladder.

External links

• American Bladder Cancer Society A site created for and by Bladder Cancer (BLC) survivors, people with symptoms and the people that care about them. A support group promoting education, awareness, and a discussion forum to help patients, survivors, and caregivers share information and get answers to questions.
• Information at the Bladder Cancer Web Cafe
• About reconstruction from Stanford Hospital
  Stanford Hospital
  Stanford Hospital and Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the nation's top hospitals, Stanford Hospital and Clinics is internationally...
  
  
• Scientific paper on neobladders