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New Strength. The origin of the regenerated tissue posed an interesting question. Some layers were probably the result of the body's normal healing process, and others may have been formed from blood cells; connective tissue undoubtedly was formed from the ureters and urethra. But the appearance of smooth muscle in the pouch was, in the words of the doctors, "more difficult to rationalize" : true regeneration of smooth muscle has been observed only in rare situations, and mostly in animals. After considering several possible sources, doctors could only conclude that the smooth muscle in the new bladder may somehow have been formed from the primitive connective tissue.
Patients who need new bladders are not likely to worry much where they come from. The new operation spells hope for thousands afflicted with such common bladder ailments as cancer or chronic ulcers. "It's by no means a panacea for everybody with bladder trouble," says Dr. Bohne. "But the new procedure will replace the reservoir and will, we believe, prevent the kidneys from becoming infected, a result that frequently caused untimely deaths after the older method of radical surgery and the insertion of permanent catheters [artificial drainage tubes] into the kidneys. And if, for example, we can eradicate a cancer that is causing trouble, we're giving the patient a better chance of survival."