The surgical procedure to remove your bladder is known as a cystectomy. This procedure is the part of surgery in which the surgeon creates an ileal conduit by resecting part of the small intestine, and pulling its one through an incision in the belly. He closes the other end of the conduit and attaches ureters to it after disconnecting them from the bladder. The end of the conduit appearing on the belly is known as the stoma, and it passes out urine.
Preparing for surgery
A week before surgery, you may have to discuss your medication with your surgeon. The surgeon will assess the possibility of any complications arising as a result of the intake of medicines that you are currently taking. Based on this assessment, he may allow you to continue those medications, or ask you to stop until you recover from surgery. Your surgeon will also check if you have any allergies that might have an impact on your postoperative recovery.
Your doctor will ask you to stop eating anything the night before surgery. It is an SOP.
Surgery
Your surgeon will administer general anesthesia to put you asleep for the duration of the entire surgical procedure. During surgery, the surgeon will make an incision in the belly. He will disconnect ureters from the bladder, and remove the bladder and nearby tissues.
Next, the surgeon will resect a small piece of your ileum. This part will serve as a medium to transport urine flowing into it from the ureters to the outside of the body. The surgeon will put two stents in the ureters to keep them open while they heal.
After surgery
After the completion of the surgery, the surgical staff will take you to the recovery room. You will stay there until you are fully awake. The surgical team will monitor you closely and consistently to see if any problem occurs after surgery. When you are awake, you will need to avoid getting out of bed until your healthcare provider allows you to do so.
You may need to stay hospitalized for 3-4 days, depending on fast you recover from surgery. During this stay, your nurse will teach you how to take care of your stoma and the skin around it. The nurse will also train you to use ostomy appliances. You will be allowed to go home if your initial recovery is a success.
When to contact your healthcare provider
You may need to contact your healthcare provider if you have trouble urinating, you have a fever, or you have any concerns regarding your ostomy. You may also contact your provider if your peristomal skin develops irritation.
You will need to seek emergency care if you are not urinating at all.
Risks
You will need to be aware of certain risks that may cause problems for you in the future. Surgery can result in a heightened risk of infection or bleeding. A bulge may appear in the skin around the stoma. There may be internal leakage of urine where ureters connect to the part of the small intestine. The ureters may face blockage, which can be quite painful.
All these problems are rare, but they can still occur in some cases. You can mitigate the risk of these occurrences by taking good care of your stoma.