Neobladder construction is undertaken after a cystectomy in order to restore the functionality of the removed bladder.
After having their bladder removed, some patients may choose to have an ileal conduit, which basically allows the urine to continually drain into a bag that they wear on their abdomen. Though very reliable, the disadvantage is that the conduit is incontinent, meaning that urine constantly drains into a permanent bag on the patient’s abdomen. Neobladder construction is another alternative.
To create a neobladder, your physician takes an isolated section of your intestine and reshapes it into a new, replacement bladder. The neobladder is placed into the space in your body previously occupied by the original bladder.
One end of the neobladder is attached to your ureters so that urine can drain from your kidneys to your new bladder and the other end of the neobladder is attached to your urethra. Once trained, the patient will be able to urinate through their own urethra, and they won’t have to wear a bag to collect the urine.
Recovery
The operation takes about three hours, and recovery time in the hospital is usually one week.
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