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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.