Pre operation
Ten days prior to the procedure you should:
- Have your blood and urine test
- Notify Mr Thyer’s rooms if you are taking any blood thinning medication
The procedure
On arrival at hospital you will be prepared for theatre by nursing staff. Mr Thyer will see you just prior to being taken into the operating theatre. You will require a general anaesthetic of approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Mr Thyer will introduce a thin resectoscope into your bladder via the urethra. No skin incision is required. The bladder tumour will be removed slowly in chips which will be washed out at the end of the procedure. The chips of tumour will be sent to a pathologist for examination (you may incur a pathologist fee). A catheter will be placed and a washout via the catheter commenced which will stay for 1 night. After the catheter is removed the nurse will check you have passed urine then you will be sent home.
Note: Occasionally two nights in hospital are required for very large tumours
Risks
- Bleeding. Blood in the urine usually lasts for 2 weeks but can last longer for depending on the bladder tumour and individual factors.
- Infection. This occurs in less than 5%.
- Urinary retention. Occasionally you may not be able to pass urine after the procedure and you may be discharged with a catheter to be removed after one week.
- Incontinence. Some patients do experience incontinence following the procedure but for most this resolves within a couple of weeks.
- Urethral stricture. This is a narrowing in the urethra that can happen after the operation in about 3%. It often requires another operation correct it.
- Bladder perforation. Very occasionally the bladder may be perforated during the procedure. If this happens you may require a catheter to allow the perforation to heal over 2 weeks. Very rarely an open operation is required to repair the hole in the bladder.
- There are risks with any general anaesthetic which are very rare including blood clots, heart or lung problems and adverse drug reactions. The anaesthetist will discuss these with you at the time of the procedure.
Follow up
You should take laxatives, drink plenty of water, avoid heavy lifting and sexual intercourse for 3 weeks following the procedure. You will have an appointment made with Mr Thyer in his rooms to check on your pathology at 2-3 weeks.
Following the procedure, you should contact Mr Thyer if you:
- Have a fever over 38 Degrees
- Are unable to pass urine
- Have large clots in the urine
- Have not received a follow up appointment
- You can contact Mr Thyer via his rooms during working hours or after hours via the after hours nurse at Hollywood Hospital on (08) 9346 6000
- You can attend the emergency department at the hospital at which you had your procedure. (Hollywood Private Emergency Department charge a fee for attendance).
