Resection of Bladder Tumors at the Ureteral Orifice Using a Hook Plasma Electrode: A Case Report

Abstract

Background The traditional surgical approach for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer is transurethral resection of bladder tumors using annular plasma electrodes, but we have innovatively used a hook electrode and proposed a new surgical method. Case presentation We assessed a 31-year-old male patient diagnosed with bladder cancer whose pathological type was low-grade urothelial carcinoma. MRI examination suggested that the patient's bladder tumor was located in the right ureteral orifice, and the tumor stage was T1. Subsequently, we used a homemade hook electrode to enucleate the tumor en bloc on the basis of accurately finding a gap between the bottom of the tumor and normal tissue. Meanwhile, we exposed the complete intramural ureter from the bladder wall and finally removed it. Conclusions Through this case of a patient, we explored a resection method similar to "sculpting" and achieved good surgical results. The hook electrode is a surgical tool worth promoting, and using it helps us to remove tumors precisely from the bladder wall.