Blood in the urine is one of the most important symptoms to investigate promptly. TURBT is the cornerstone procedure for diagnosing and treating bladder tumours, an endoscope is passed through the urethra to remove abnormal tissue from the bladder wall under direct vision. It provides diagnosis and treatment in a single procedure.
TREATMENTS
Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT)
When Is TURBT Recommended?
• A bladder tumour or suspicious area has been seen on imaging or at cystoscopy
• Investigation of visible blood in the urine
• A repeat (re-staging) resection is needed within 2–6 weeks for selected higher-risk tumours, to confirm complete removal and accurate staging
TURBT Techniques
• Standard TURBT: Resection under conventional white-light cystoscopy, which can be quick and effective for visible tumours.
• Photodynamic diagnosis (blue-light cystoscopy): A special solution instilled into the bladder or special light helps improve detection of cancer cells that may be missed under normal light.
• En-bloc resection of bladder tumour (ERBT): The tumour is removed in one piece with the underlying muscle, which can provide better pathological staging and may reduce recurrence.
A single dose of chemotherapy placed into the bladder within 24 hours of resection may be given, as it can reduces the chance of tumour recurrence.
Risks and Considerations
All procedures carry risks, which your surgeon will discuss with you in detail. These may include:
• Burning and blood in the urine for a few days
• Urinary infection
• Bladder perforation (rare) — usually managed with a longer catheter period
• Bladder tumours can recur, so a surveillance cystoscopy schedule is essential
Recovery at a glance: Usually day surgery or one night in hospital; a catheter is sometimes needed overnight.
1
Pre-Operative Assessment
Urine cytology, imaging, and flexible cystoscopy findings are reviewed to plan the resection.
2
Endoscopic Procedure
Performed under general or spinal anaesthesia via the urethra. A resectoscope removes all visible tumour tissue, including the deeper muscle layer, for accurate staging.
3
Pathological Analysis
All resected tissue undergoes detailed pathological assessment to determine grade, depth of invasion, and the presence of carcinoma in situ (CIS), which guides the treatment pathway.
4
Outcome Monitoring
Follow-up cystoscopy, urine cytology and, if indicated, intravesical immunotherapy or chemotherapy are arranged based on tumour grade and stage.
Our Approach
