AccScience Publishing / Bladder / Online First / DOI: 10.14440/bladder.0150
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Efficacy and safety of en bloc resection versus transurethral resection for ureteral orifice-invasive bladder tumors

Shaoan Chen1 Yu Zhang1 Bangmin Han1* Yuyang Zhao1*
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1 Department of Urology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025
Submitted: 26 May 2025 | Revised: 27 August 2025 | Accepted: 2 September 2025 | Published: 2 January 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Background: Surgical treatment for ureteral orifice-invasive bladder tumors is tricky and remains controversial. Objective: This study compared the efficacy and safety of thulium laser en bloc resection of bladder tumor (ERBT) and transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) for ureteral orifice-invasive tumors. Methods: Clinical data of patients with non-muscle invasive bladder tumors close to or invading the ureteral orifice from March 2016 to October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Pre-operative imaging confirmed no ureteral dilation or hydronephrosis. Bladder instillation chemotherapy was administered based on the pathological findings. Follow-up with cystoscopy and imaging was conducted every 3 months for 1–2 year(s), and then every 6 months thereafter. Results: Forty-two patients were included (25 ERBT, 17 TURBT). All surgeries were completed without intraoperative complications. Median follow-up lasted for 22 months. Baseline median age (65 vs. 63 years, p=0.27), tumor number (all solitary), and size (2.85 ± 1.06 cm vs. 3.14 ± 0.82 cm, p=0.37) were comparable between the TURBT and ERBT groups. Mean operative time was shorter with ERBT (16.08 ± 3.26 min) than with TURBT (30.00 ± 3.53 min; p=0.01). Post-operative hematuria occurred in two TURBT cases and none in ERBT (p=0.006). Detrusor muscle sampling was missed in seven TURBT cases and none with ERBT (p=0.003). Hospitalization was shorter for ERBT (3.12 ± 0.73 days) than with TURBT (4.53 ± 0.80 days; p=0.04). No short-term ureteral stenosis or hydronephrosis developed in either group. Conclusion: ERBT safely resects ureteral orifice-invasive tumors, avoids double-J stenting, and protects the ureteral orifice, rendering it preferable to TURBT in this setting.

Keywords
Bladder cancer
Transurethral resection of bladder tumor
Ureteral orifice
En bloc resection
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Bladder, Electronic ISSN: 2327-2120 Print ISSN: TBA, Published by POL Scientific