Contemporary cystectomy combined with ileal conduit or bladder substitution

Radical cystectomy remains one of the mainstay treatments for organ-confined invasive bladder cancer. Components of this surgery including the extent of pelvic lymph node dissection, the assessment of ureteric margins and the indications for bladder reconstruction as opposed to the simpler ileal conduit urinary diversion continue to provoke debate. This review provides a broad overview of radical cystectomy and summarises the options for bladder reconstruction. Special emphasis is given to data concerning the role of pelvic lymphadenectomy in the patient staged pre-operatively as N0M0.