Breakthrough Surgery Creates New Bladder
Published: December 19, 2006
Fifty-thousand Americans are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year. Some of these patients have their bladders removed and then must use a bag to go to the bathroom. It’s often an uncomfortable and embarrassing solution but a new surgery offers patients a better alternative.
When Hans Neukomm learned he had advanced bladder cancer, he thought he’d also have to re-learn going to the bathroom.
“That’s what they were telling me, that the gold standard is the removal of the bladder, and then I’d have to wear an external pouch,” said Neukomm.
That was a change he wasn’t looking forward to making.
“It can really hinder their lifestyle. If you’re very active and exercise regularly then it’s difficult to do it with a bag full of liquid or urine,” said Dr. Siamak Daneshmand.
Now, there’s a better alternative — using the patient’s own small intestine to make a neo-bladder.
Dr. Daneshmand constructs the neo-bladder. He takes a piece of intestine, then cuts and stitches it to make an inflatable pouch. That pouch attaches to the urethra and lets patients urinate on their own. It acts very much like the real thing.
“The voiding is essentially the same as before. You’ve relaxed your pelvic muscles, and the urine starts flowing,” said Dr. Daneshmand.
Dr. Daneshmand says 90 percent of patients who have the surgery are able to go to the bathroom normally during the day.
“During the night it’s a different story. I sleep pretty well, and I wear a pad,” said Hans Neukomm.
Hans gets up about once a night to change the pad but he says that’s a lot better than the alternative.
Before opting for a neo-bladder, Dr. Daneshmand suggests patients find a surgeon who performs the surgeries on a regular basis.
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