**2. Anatomical landmarks**

The bladder is an extra-peritoneal muscular urine reservoir located behind the pubic symphysis in the pelvis. The male bladder consists of a distensible structure, formed at the level of the bladder neck by involuntary internal sphincter fibers. The standard surgical approach of the bladder is through a transperitoneal access. The cul-de-sac separates the rectum and the seminal vesicles from this deep pelvic area. The bladder neck is surrounded by the lateral ligaments and the arch of the pelvic fascia. The anterior portion of the bladder, is supported by the pubo-prostatic ligaments. In the female, the peritoneum lies anterior and superior to the vagina's wall on the Douglas space, anteriorly tendinous arch lateral and pubovesical ligaments.

The bladder is irrigated by the branches of the internal iliac artery:


*Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy with Intra-Corporeal Neo-Bladder DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98973*

The venous drainage coalesces in a venous plexus and prostatic venous plexus in the male and through the uterus vaginal plexus in the female, which ultimately drains into the internal iliac vein.

The lymphatic system has a supero-lateral drainage to the external iliac lymph nodes, the fundus and neck of the bladder drains to the internal iliac lymph nodes and the sacral lymph nodes [16].

The innervation is provided by presynaptic sympathetic fiber form T11-L2/3 and presynaptic parasympathetic fibers from S2-S4 and postsynaptic neurons in the wall of the bladder [16].
