Department of Urology faculty created a treatment for bladder cancer, the Indiana Pouch, in the 1970s. They continue to research new ways to diagnose and treat bladder cancer.
Indiana Pouch
The Indiana Pouch was developed at IU School of Medicine in the late 1980s through a collaborative effort between our pediatric and adult urology teams. This innovative form of bladder substitution can be used in both children and adults for a variety of conditions, including spina bifida, severe stricture disease and bladder cancer. The procedure repurposes a segment of the small and large intestine to create an internal reservoir that safely stores urine, allowing patients to empty the pouch through a small abdominal stoma. By avoiding the need for an external urine bag, the Indiana Pouch offers improved continence, discretion and overall quality of life.