After surgery to remove your bladder (radical cystectomy), a new system is developed to store and pass urine. Your surgeon may create a noncontinent diversion (also called an ileal conduit) in which a segment of your intestine is removed and transformed into a urinary channel, or conduit. The conduit connects on one end to your ureters and on the other end to a new surgically created opening (stoma) in the wall of your abdomen. This procedure is called a urostomy.

After a urostomy, the urine passes from the ureters through the conduit and out the opening into a plastic bag that is attached to your skin. You will empty the bag 3 or 4 times a day, and a larger bag that allows for longer storage can be worn overnight.