Holmium laser transurethral resection of bladder tumor: Our experience

PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficiency of conventional monopolar and holmium laser en bloc transurethral resection of bladder tumor (CM-TURBT and HoL-EBRBT) while managing primary nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2012 to October 2015, fifty patients with primary nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer underwent endoscopic surgery. Among them, 27 patients underwent CM-TURBT and 23 patients underwent HoL-EBRBT. Clinical data, included preoperative, operative, and postoperative management and follow-up, were recorded. RESULTS: Patient demographics and tumor characteristics in both groups were compared before surgery. There was no significant difference in operative duration among the groups. Compared with the CM-TURBT group, HoL-EBRBT group had less intraoperative and postoperative complications, including obturator nerve reflex (P < 0.01), bladder perforation (P < 0.01), as well as bleeding and postoperative bladder irritation (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences among the two groups in the transfusion rate and occurrence of urethral strictures. Patients in the HoL-EBRBT group had less catheterization and hospitalization time than those in the CM-TURBT group (P < 0.01), and there were no significant differences in each risk subgroup as well as the overall recurrence rate among the CM-TURBT and HoL-EBRBT groups. CONCLUSIONS: HoL-EBRBT might prove to be preferable alternatives to CM-TURBT management of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer. HoL-EBRBT however did not demonstrate an obvious advantage over CM-TURBT in tumor recurrence rate.