Application of needle electrodes in en bloc resection of single bladder tumor.

Background: Transurethral resection of bladder tumor is associated with some limitations when used in the diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives: This study explored the application of needle electrodes in the transurethral resection of single bladder tumor (SBT) and highlighted the advantages of en bloc resection of bladder tumors.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 79 patients with SBT treated at the Department of Urology, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, from January to December 2023. Among the patients, 64 (81.0%) were male, and 15 (19.0%) were female, with a mean age of 62.6 years. Among the patients, 68 (86.1%) had primary tumors, 11 (13.9%) had recurrent tumors, and 2 (2.5%) had SBTs following upper urothelial carcinoma radical resection. All patients underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumors using needle electrodes.

Results: All procedures were successfully completed. The mean operation time lasted 51.0 min, and the mean blood loss was 7.9 mL. The median tumor size was 2 cm. The obturator nerve block was employed in 22 (33.8%) cases. The incidence of obturator nerve reflex was 40.9% (9/22) and 23.3% (10/43) without (p = 0.139). Post-operative complications included bladder tamponade in one patient (1.3%). The accuracy of muscle invasion reporting was 89.9%. Three patients were lost to follow-up, and two patients (2.6%) suffered from recurrence at 6 months. The median follow-up time was 13 months.

Conclusion: Needle electrode resection for SBTs was highly safe, had low complication rates, and offered accurate tumor staging, resulting in precise treatment and low postoperative recurrence.