daVinci Robotic Bladder Diverticulectomy

A bladder diverticulum is an outpouching of the bladder lining through a weak area of the bladder. As the bladder squeezes to empty pressure in the diverticulum causes it to grow over time. When a bladder diverticulum is too large it can cause infection, urinary retention, bladder stones, and cancer.

 

Under general anesthesia in a hospital. The daVinci robot is used to dissect and remove the diverticulum from the bladder and identify the weak hole in the bladder in order to close it. You can see the video below highlighting the key points of the procedure.

Removing the bladder diverticulum helps to prevent the risks of infection, retention, and cancer associated with the diverticulum.

  • Bleeding: Bleeding risk is small for this procedure.
  • Infection: Infection risk is small for this procedure.
  • Urine Leak: If the bladder sutures break down the urine will leak
  • Anesthetic Risk: The risk of general anesthesia is dependent on patient health and comorbidities.
  • Recurrence of diverticulum: This is uncommon at the site of repair. But a diverticulum can form in another part of the bladder.
 

The alternative to this procedure is either to not treat the diverticulum or to do the procedure using a much larger incision. The robotic technique allows better pain control, better visualization, and less bleeding.

This is a straightforward procedure using standard robotic techniques.

You will be asked to do the standard preoperative clearance with your primary physician and any other specialists you see. You will be asked to stop blood thinners. You will not need any bowel preparation.

 
Most patients remain in the hospital overnight and leave with a catheter in place. The catheter remains most often 7-10 days. The incisions heal over a few weeks. You will be asked not to do any heavy lifting for the first few weeks after the operation.

Yes, this is a procedure that is covered by insurance.