Palliative care is a way to improve quality of life for a person who's being treated for a serious illness. It is a type of medical specialty. To palliate means to ease the symptoms of an illness.

Hospice provides comfort and support to people who are nearing the end of life. Hospice programs support both the person and their family. They include physical, emotional, and spiritual services. Read on to learn more.

Total cystectomy is surgery to remove the bladder. It is most often done to treat bladder cancer. After the bladder is removed, the surgeon must make a new way to drain urine from your body. This is called urinary diversion.

Total cystectomy is surgery to remove the bladder. After the bladder is removed, the surgeon must make a new way to drain urine from your body. This is called urinary diversion. With incontinent urinary diversion, urine drains through a hole in your belly into a bag.

Total cystectomy is surgery to remove the bladder. After the bladder is removed, a new bladder (neobladder) or an internal pouch is made to collect urine. This is called a continent urinary diversion. Learn more about this procedure.

Continent urinary diversion is surgery to make a new way for urine to pass out of the body. During the surgery, either a new bladder (neobladder) or a pouch is created. This is done using a piece of your own intestine (bowel). Learn about the details of this procedure.

Varicocelectomy is surgery to fix a varicocele. A varicocele is swelling of veins in the scrotum. This swelling is due to blood backing up in the veins.

Urethroplasty is surgery to treat a narrowing (stricture) of the urethra. It may be used if less invasive treatments don't work or are not right for you.

Ureterosigmoidostomy is surgery that creates a new way for urine to pass out of the body. This may be needed if the bladder has been removed due to problems, such as bladder cancer.

Urinary diversion is surgery that makes a new way for urine to pass out of the body. It may be needed if the bladder is diseased or damaged. It may also be done if another problem in the body keeps the bladder from working correctly. Learn how the surgery is done.