What is Urinary Diversion?

When someone's bladder needs to be removed, surgeons can create one of three different ways for urine to leave the body: 

  1. Ileal conduit

  2. Neobladder

  3. Catheterizable pouch

When the bladder is removed in surgery, a urinary diversion is made, usually using a piece of the intestine to change how urine exits the body. There's no one "best" option for this; it depends on your medical condition, choices, and lifestyle. Each method has pros and cons, and you can find more information about them on this website.

Ileal Conduit

An ileal conduit (urostomy) carries urine from the kidneys through a belly opening (stoma) and into an external bag worn on the side of the abdomen. An ileal conduit is also called a urostomy.

Neobladder

A neobladder is a reservoir (internal container) made from a part of the small intestine, replacing the bladder. It doesn't need any stomas or collection bags. The goal is to imitate regular urination, but you'll need training to learn how to empty it.

Catheterizable Pouch

A catheterizable pouch is an internal reservoir (internal container). To empty it, you insert a catheter every 3-4 hours through an opening (stoma) on the belly.