Audit of safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of local anaesthetic cystodiathermy.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to audit our experience of cystodiathermy under local anaesthetic (LA) at the time of flexible cystoscopy for recurrent superficial bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 264 flexible cystoscopies were performed on patients with a past history of TCC. The number and site of recurrences were recorded and selected patients were offered cystodiathermy. Patient tolerability was noted. At follow-up, any recurrence was recorded. RESULTS: Eighty patients (30%) had 91 procedures showing one or more recurrences. Fifty-one of the 80 patients (64%) were treated with cystodiathermy under LA. All completed treatment. Forty-five (88%) tolerated the procedure well. Forty-seven (92%) treatments were completed within 5 min. At a median follow-up of 15 weeks, 30 (59%) treated patients had no recurrence and three (6%) had recurrence at the site of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: LA cystodiathermy is an effective and well-tolerated alternative to general anaesthetic cystodiathermy that enables treatment at the time of detection and may, thereby, reduce patient anxiety.

Developing a strategy to reduce the high morbidity of patients with long-term urinary catheters: the BioMed catheter research clinic.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the idea of managing patients having problems with long-term catheterization (LTC, normally used when all other methods of bladder management have failed or are unsuitable) in a dedicated clinic, to present a prospective analysis of consecutive new patients attending between February 2002 and October 2006, and to establish the incidence of bladder stones in patients who have recurrent catheter encrustation and blockage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients treated with LTC are a large heterogeneous group, mainly consisting of elderly people who have chronic disabilities, and catheter-associated complications occur in > 70% of them. In all, 260 consecutive new patients having problems with LTC were assessed; the evaluation consisted of basic demographics, a detailed history, clinical examination, urine analysis and flexible cystoscopy (FC) via the catheterization route. Patients with bladder stones were screened with FC for recurrence of stones at 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. RESULTS: In all, 117 men and 143 women (mean age 67.7 years, range 23-97) were assessed; 147 (55.5%) had catheter encrustation. FC showed that 66 of the 147 patients (45%) had bladder stones. Forty-eight patients (73%) were successfully treated at the same clinic appointment and their stones were removed with the help of a tip-less stone basket. Eighteen patients (27%) were referred for inpatient treatment of bladder stones under general anaesthesia. Twenty of 66 patients with bladder stones (30%) formed recurrent bladder stones at a mean (range) follow-up of 8.1 (3-18 months). In addition, 36 patients had successful insertion of suprapubic catheter (SPC) under local anaesthetic in the clinic, and 11 were referred for SPC insertion under general anaesthesia. Two patients were diagnosed with bladder transitional cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The introduction of a dedicated catheter clinic, equipped with facilities such as FC and a hoist, enables patients to be treated in an environment that meets their needs and potentially reduces the risk of more complex stone removal and catheter problems at a later date. It can also act as a potential source of data for use in research and development. A significant proportion (45%) of patients with catheter encrustation and blockage had formed bladder stones. Our study provides a rationale for FC of all such patients to detect and remove stones.