Introduction: The idea to replace the bladder following cystectomy was born in 1888. For 100 years to follow the reservoir had a tubular shape. Since 1988 after the advent of detubularization and crossfolding the shape was globular. More than 50 eponyms have been proposed for orthotopic bladder substitution (OBS). The goal of this presentation is to analyse ethymology and history of the “neobladder”. Methods: The authors comprehensive OBS registry was reviewed for the OBS terms. For the analysis 1888 – 1987 any report on OBS has been analysed from national and international libraries, later only sizeable series that stood the test of time. The sources were compared in a hermeneutical manner. Results: From 1888 – 1988 the OBS term was purely descriptive in German and English: “Wiederherstellung der Harnblase” (= bladder reconstruction, 1888); for the first human application this remained so (vessie nouvelle, 1913). Only after 1985 names of the surgeon (f.i. Camey bladder), institution (f.i. Standford pouch), or city (f.i. Florence intracorporeal neobladder) were a new aspect in the nomenclature of OBS. After 1988 in the era of modern OBS pioneering institutions returned to the use characteristic descriptive terms: T-pouch (Los Angeles, 1987) urethral Kock pouch (Manssoura, 1987), ileal low pressure bladder substitute (Bern, 1989), ileal neobladder (Ulm, 1987/88). “Neobladder” is a Greek/English hybrid word, that was born in Ulm 1985 after the first OBS was performed by R. Hautmann, MD. His associate G. Egghart, MD, wrote the operative report. Because of his humanistic education including the command of the Greek language he designed the term “Neoblase”. The first publication was in German “Die Ileum-Neoblase” Urologe (A) 1987; 26: 67-73. The term ileal neobladder appeared for the first time one year later: The Ileal Neobladder by R.E. Hautmann, G. Egghart, D. Frohneberg, and K. Miller. JUrol 1988; 139: 39-42. Since the turn of the century the term “neobladder” has increasingly replaced OBS in journals and textbooks Conclusions: The term “neobladder” gradually has replaced most terms including of orthotopic reconstruction or bladder substitution (OBS). The most likely reasons for this is, that “neobladder” is a simpler description of the goal of the operation, is easier to understand for patients, and is an international term. SOURCE OF Funding: none
