742 Transurethral LASER Ablation (TULA): A Safe and Well Tolerated Procedure for The Treatment of Bladder Tumours Up To 4cm In Diameter in An Outpatient Setting

Published Date: 12th October 2021

Publication Authors: Siddiqui Z, Morland L, Speakman S, Birley R, Hughes KE

Aim
Traditionally the management of recurrent non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) involves rigid cystoscopy and bladder biopsies/tumour resection under general/regional anaesthesia. As a result, many frail patients endure frequent anaesthetics and therefore are at increased risk of adverse outcomes including cognitive decline. Discontinuation of anti-platelet/anti-coagulation is not required for TULA. An outpatient TULA service was recently started at our trust. We present a case series of our first 4 months data.

Method
All TULA cases (n = 39) performed between Aug-Dec 2020 were included. Data was gathered prospectively including patient demographics, co-morbidities, initial cancer diagnosis and number of subsequent recurrences, post-procedural complications, and patient procedural satisfaction.

Results
Median age was 82 years (range 34-96) and median number of co-morbidities were 4 (range 0-10). Previous bladder cancer diagnosis was present for 85% with the most common initial stage G2pTa (n = 11). Median number of recurrences was 1 (range 1-5). Median patient perceived pain score was 3 (range 1-7) with 100% of patients preferring TULA over TURBT. Reasons included reduced procedural time (n = 18) and enhanced recovery (n = 15). Only 1 patient was readmitted post-procedure due to haematuria, however urine was clear after catheterisation and the patient was discharged.

Conclusions
TULA is safe for all low risk NMIBC, particularly for frail patients. It is well tolerated and facilitates improved patient experience. It also alleviates demand on theatre capacity and inpatient beds which has a positive effect on surgical waiting lists. Further audit of clinical outcomes should continue as recommended by NICE.

 

Siddiqui, Z; Morland, L; Speakman, S; Birley, R; Hughes, KE. (2021). 742 Transurethral LASER Ablation (TULA): A Safe and Well Tolerated Procedure for The Treatment of Bladder Tumours Up To 4cm In Diameter in An Outpatient Setting. British Journal of Surgery. 108 (Suppl 6), pp vi283

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