When serious bladder symptoms develop or bladder cancer is suspected, patients and their physicians look for a center that provides comprehensive medical and surgical care with special expertise. The Henry Ford Vattikuti Urology Institute provides a team of specialists and offers the complete range of therapy options including the most advanced minimally invasive robotic surgery techniques and research trials to provide patients the best opportunity for recovery.
Timely Diagnosis and Treatment
Research has shown that survival is improved by prompt diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Henry Ford Vattikuti Urology Institute provides patients timely access to all steps in the care plan: initial consultation with a urology specialist, necessary diagnostic tests, discussion of the diagnosis and treatment options, and the process of treatment and follow-up care. Our bladder cancer team provides patients diagnosis and treatment in a much faster time than the standard recommended three-month window of time for this disease.
Team Approach
The Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford partners with the Josephine Ford Cancer Center to provide each patient a personalized care plan. Through this collaboration, we focus on each patient individually and incorporate the assistance and expertise of a wide range of specialists, depending on the needs of each patient. Every week the specialists meet to review each patient's case and discuss treatment options based on a host of factors in the care of the patient. For example, some patients may require surgery, other may need chemotherapy before or after surgery, and others may require radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy with or without surgery. Team members who specialize in the care of bladder cancer patients at Henry Ford include:
Oncologic Urologist - fellowship-trained surgeon in the surgical treatment of urologic cancers.
Genitourinary Medical Oncologist - fellowship-trained specialty physician in the medical treatment of advanced urologic cancers using chemotherapy.
Radiation Oncologist - a specialty physician trained in the delivery of radiation therapy to treat cancers.
Genitourinary Pathologist - a pathologist who has completed additional training in urologic cancers.
Robotic Surgery Team - surgeons, nurses, and surgical assistants with the experience of thousands of robotic surgical procedures committed to robotic surgery and its advancement.
Enterostomal Nurses - nurses who specialize in helping patients live with surgically constructed new bladders or urinary diversion pathways requiring catheters or urine bags.
Genitourinary Floor Nurses - nurses specifically dedicated to the care of urologic patients in the hospital.
Robotic Surgical Therapy
The Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital has pioneered robotic-assisted surgery and has the greatest volume and experience in the treatment of urologic cancers nationally. Our team performed one of the nation's first robotic-assisted procedures for bladder cancer with reconstruction, and has continued to treat more bladder cancer patients than most urologists.
In the hands of surgeons at the Vattikuti Urology Institute, robotic bladder cancer surgery and reconstruction offers:
Less pain
Fewer complications
Shorter hospital stay
Faster recovery
Earlier return of urinary control
Less internal scarring
Nerve-sparing techniques in men to help preserve sexual function
