Different diseases can lead to the fact that the body’s own urinary bladder must be replaced by an artificial bladder. The insertion of an artificial bladder is a highly complex urological intervention. In medicine, this is known as an artificial urinary diversion, in which the body’s own bladder is replaced by different methods and the urine is diverted out of the body via different routes. Depending on the surgical method, different sections of the intestine are used to form a new bladder, which can take over the function of the old bladder, the collection and drainage of urine. Which type of artificial bladder is chosen depends on the underlying disease and pre-existing conditions and can best be discussed individually with the attending physician.
Forms
There are a number of different forms and possibilities to create an artificial bladder and replace the original bladder. Which of the possibilities is applied individually depends on the underlying disease and the patient’s preference. In general, a distinction must be made between continental and incontinent urinary diversion.
Depending on the type of urinary diversion, different surgical options are considered. The continental urinary diversion is so called because the urine can be deliberately drained. An artificial bladder, which provides the possibility of continence, represents the ideal form.
If, for example, the bladder, which is formed from sections of intestine, is connected to the ureters and the urethra, a continuous urine diversion is given. A so-called pouch also represents a continual form of an artificial bladder. In this case, the urine is either drained via the abdominal wall with the help of a valve, or it is led into the intestine.
The latter is only possible if the sphincter muscle is sufficiently functional. On the other hand, incontinent forms of an artificial bladder are also possible. In this case, the body’s own bladder is replaced by a small piece of intestine alone, which channels the urine through the abdominal wall and out into a bag. In this form of urine diversion, known as conduit, the bladder is not replaced by forming a reservoir in the body, but the urine is collected in a bag outside the body.
