En bloc resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer has the potential to reduce the chance of tumour recurrences. En bloc excision is now performed in several centres worldwide.
This variation of the surgical technique, developed in Wellington, involves saline injection into the bladder wall to elevate the tumour from the underlying bladder muscle. Bleeding during resection is minimal and specimen quality is excellent. The tumour is excised whole and without fragmentation. This reduces the risk of tumour seeding from the procedure.
Once the tumour is excised from the bladder wall, it is then extracted using a retrieval basket and the bladder is washed out and checked for any remaining lesions. There is no ongoing bleeding from the resection area.