Types of urostomies
There are several types of urostomies, each with different methods of diverting urine. The most common are the ileal conduit, continent urostomy, and neobladder.
This is the most common type of urostomy. During an ileal conduit urinary diversion, a small piece of the ileum (part of the small intestine) is used to create a conduit (tube) for urine. Your surgeon will remove a segment of the ileum and attach one end to the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys, called the ureters. The other end is connected to the urostomy stoma in the abdominal wall. Urine flows from the kidneys, through the ureters, into the ileal conduit, and through the stoma into an external collection pouch. These pouches are sometimes called urostomy bags or bladder bags. They’re designed to be discreet and can be emptied as needed.
This method creates a new reservoir inside the body. There are several types—for example, Kock pouch, Indiana pouch, and Mitrofanoff pouch—and each type uses different tissues from within the body to make the urine reservoir and attach it to the stoma. The internal pouch must be emptied several times a day using a catheter.
This method involves creating a neobladder, a new bladder made from a piece of the intestine. A section of the intestine is surgically positioned inside the body where the original bladder was located. This new bladder is connected to the urethra, the tube that removes urine from the body. The ureters are attached to the neobladder, allowing urine to flow into it. You can urinate through the urethra, much like natural urination, though you may need to learn techniques to ensure the neobladder is fully emptied. With this method, a stoma is not needed.