Bladder Cancer Surgery

Robotic surgery is essentially an outgrowth of laparoscopy. Laparoscopy can be difficult because the instruments need to be long and straight to be inserted through the skin. It can thus be difficult to reach some areas and to manipulate the tissues appropriately (imagine trying to sew with chopsticks). Robotic surgery attempts to overcome these limitations. [...]

Absolutely. It can be done. Multiple surgeons have now reported that they have performed the procedure successfully. In women, the procedure technically is similar to removal of the uterus, a procedure that is commonly performed laparoscopically. In men, the procedure is complicated by the presence of the prostate attached to the bladder. Laparoscopic removal of [...]

Laparoscopy refers to surgery that is done by using instruments inserted into the body through a tiny incision. A camera attached to a small telescope inserted through another tiny incision provides visualization for the surgeon. This is one technique in a field that is now called minimally invasive surgery, or surgery that seeks to minimize [...]

Or Do I Need To Travel To A Large Referral Center? Many local hospitals across the country provide excel-lent care that is convenient for both you and your family. Several factors are involved in making this decision, but in the end, most patients make this type of decision based on (1) family support and (2) [...]

Studies have generally shown a slight advantage to getting chemotherapy before undergoing surgery. When these studies are combined, we are able to see about a 5% improvement in overall survival at five years. One important point to make about preoperative chemotherapy is that it delays surgery by several weeks while the patient receives treatment. Not [...]

Radical cystectomy is the procedure of choice for many different types of patients. Most commonly, it is per-formed in patients who have muscle-invasive bladder cancer. If a bladder cancer invades the muscle, then other treatments such as TURBT and BCG are unlikely to fully treat the cancer, putting you at risk for metastases. Although invasive [...]

A radical cystectomy is the complete surgical removal of the bladder. It can be thought of as three separate procedures: (1) removal of the bladder, (2) removal of the lymph nodes, and (3) creation of a bladder substitute. When performed for bladder cancer in men, it usually includes removal of the prostate, seminal vesicles, and [...]