Radical cystectomy and orthotopic diversion in men and women

Abstract

Radical cystectomy remains the mainstay of surgical therapy for bladder cancer, both for those with de novo invasive tumors and those who fail intravesical therapy or otherwise progress from superficial disease to a higher grade or stage. Cystectomy may be an integrated part of multimodality therapy, as in those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and for the occasional patient who fails alternative therapies, such as radiation combined with chemotherapy. Cystectomy is also occasionally indicated in patients with benign disease, trauma, or after radiation- or cryotherapy-induced damage to the lower urinary tract. Regardless of the indication, the surgical approach and postoperative care are similar. © 2006 Humana Press Inc.