<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The thulium laser resection of bladder tumors (TmLRBT) was increasingly used in the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recently, and here we report the relevant outcomes of our institution to evaluate its efficacy and safety. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively collected the data of NMIBC patients who underwent either TmLRBT or transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). The baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes were compared in these 2 groups. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The TmLRBT had a higher rate of detrusor identification than TURBT (97.4 vs. 87.6%, <i>p</i> = 0.001). After screening, 134 patients who underwent TmLRBT and 152 patients who received TURBT were enrolled in the analysis, and their baseline characteristics were similar. During the TURBT, 24 (15.8%) obturator nerve reflexes and 9 (5.9%) bladder perforations occurred, while none happened during the TmLRBT. After surgery, TmLRBT patients had fewer postoperative gross hematuria (38.1 vs. 96.7%, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and postoperative irrigation (27.6 vs. 92.7%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and its irrigation duration was significantly shorter (2.3 vs. 3.3 day, <i>p</i> < 0.001). During the follow-up, no significant difference in the recurrence rate was detected (<i>p</i> = 0.315). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> TmLRBT is a safer technique than conventional TURBT in the treatment of NMIBC, and it could offer better specimens for pathologic assessment while the cancer control was not compromised.
Head-to-head comparison between high-resolution microultrasound imaging and multiparametric MRI in detecting and local staging of bladder cancer: the BUS-MISS protocol