Robotic-Assisted Bladder Diverticulectomy

Bladder diverticula (BD) are herniations of the bladder urothelium through a defect of the bladder wall. They are classified as congenital or acquired and due to the incomplete emptying of the bladder, they can cause lower urinary tract symptoms, recurrent urinary tract infections, stone formation and even discomfort. Bladder diverticulectomy is a surgical operation for symptomatic or large bladder diverticula and in recent years robot assisted bladder diverticulectomy (RBD) due to its minimal invasiveness is gaining wide acceptance. The techniques of RBD (intravesical approach and extravesical approach) are described in this chapter step by step, along with the preoperative preparation, operating room configuration, patient positioning, endoscopic preparation, trocar placement, instrumentation and postoperative management for a successful completion of the procedure. A supplementary video demonstrating the intravesical and extravesical technique described in this chapter is available.