Bladder Cancer Transurethral Surgery

Three-quarters of bladder cancer patients have superficial cancer when they are first diagnosed, and a transurethral resection (TUR) is usually the first treatment they receive. Surgeons perform TUR using a resecting cystoscope, an instrument consisting of a tube with a lens and light, which they insert through the urethra into the bladder. The scope has a wire loop at the end to remove suspicious tissue and tumors. Surgeons may also use lasers and other devices to destroy the base of the tumor (a procedure called fulguration). Since bladder cancer tends to recur, surgeons at Columbia University Department of Urology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital follow bladder cancer patients closely and are pioneering numerous new treatments to prevent recurrence and progression. We want to be sure that we catch any future cancers early.