Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT)

Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT)

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Transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) is an endoscopic procedure for removing tumours in the bladder. A resectoscope (a loop-cutting instrument) is passed through the urethra to resect the whole tumour down to its base. Thereafter, biopsies are taken from the base to stage the tumour to see if it has invaded into the bladder muscle layer. Accurate sampling is important as the subsequent treatment depends on the staging.

The operation takes up to 1 hour. General or spinal anaesthesia is given and hospital stay is 3 to 4 days. There is no pain during the procedure; even after the anaesthesia wears off, the discomfort is very minimal. A catheter is inserted into the bladder after the surgery to prevent blood clots from forming. As this can potentially be a very bloody operation, any blood-thinning medication, such as Aspirin or Plavix must be stopped 1 week beforehand.

Complications include:

  • excess bleeding. Even after the catheter is removed, bloody urine is still expected to last up to 2 weeks.
  • perforation of the bladder during resection. If this happens, urine leaks out of the bladder and can lead to fever and pain. If this perforation occurs into the abdomen cavity, emergency surgery to repair the bladder is needed.