How you prepare

Food and medications

Your doctor may ask you to have a clear liquid diet for one to two days before surgery. And, usually, you'll need to stop eating and drinking after midnight on the night before your procedure. Let your doctor know about all of the medications, vitamins and dietary supplements you're taking. In some cases, you may need to stop these medications before your surgery.

Learning to self-catheterize

Urinary retention is a potential complication of neobladder reconstruction, so you need to be willing to put a catheter in (self-catheterization) to drain urine and relieve pressure on the bladder if this happens. A nurse or other health care professional will review this with you.