Trans Urethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT) is an operation where we remove a growth or tumour from your bladder. The bladder is the organ that stores your urine. This is a minimally-invasive operation. We use an instrument called a resectoscope to do your operation. We pass the resectoscope up your urethra into your bladder to remove the growth.
We may also do random bladder biopsies to test the rest of your bladder. We send the specimens to a pathologist (a doctor who analyzes tissue). After the results are back, your surgeon will talk to you about follow up and treatment options. This is usually done at your 4-week appointment.
Tumours in the bladder can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumours are usually not life-threatening. When treated or removed they usually don't grow back, don't invade tissues around them, and don't spread to other parts of the body. Malignant growths may be life-threatening, if not managed. Usually they can be removed but they can grow back.
You will stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days.
Stop smoking before your surgery
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TURBT
Tell your health care team if you are taking Aspirin, any anti-inflammatory medication, or any blood thinners, such as Coumadin or Plavix.
You will have an appointment at the Pre-Admission Clinic
within 2 weeks before your operation. This visit is very important to assess your health and help you prepare for your operation and recovery. Depending on your needs, this visit may take
from 2 to 5 hours.
On the day of your Pre-Admission visit, take your medications and eat as usual, unless you were given other instructions.
Pre-Admission Clinic
Toronto General Hospital
Eaton Building – Ground Floor, Room 400
TGH Maps & Directions
Pre-Admission Clinic
Toronto Western Hospital
Main Pavilion – 1st Floor, Room 406
TWH Maps & Directions
IMPORTANT: Unless you are given other instructions, you must come to your Pre-Admission Clinic visit or your surgery will be canceled.
- Your health card (OHIP card). If you do not have an OHIP card, please bring another form of government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport.
- Any other insurance cards. You will need the policy number of your extended health insurance, if you have any.
- Your spouse/partner, a trusted friend or a family member to offer you support and be a second set of ears.
- All the medications you take in their original containers. This includes prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements and herbal or natural products.
- A copy of your power of attorney for personal care and/or advanced directives.
- A list of any questions that you may have about the operation and recovery.
- The name or phone number of your pharmacy, as well as any medical specialists that you have seen in the past 3 years. If you have had a cardiac stress test, echocardiogram and/or a pulmonary function test in the past 3 years, it would be helpful to bring a copy of the final report with you to this appointment.
- You will have blood tests and routine skin swabs. The swabs are taken from your nose and other areas of your body to check for germs that can cause infections.
- You may also need an
electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart and a
chest x-ray to check your lungs.
- You will meet many health care providers during your preadmission visit. Please feel free to ask them any questions that you may have:
A preadmission nurse will review your health history and give you information to prepare you for your surgery, including directions for cleaning your skin, eating before surgery, taking your medications, and pain management.
A pharmacist will review your medications. - Depending on your needs, you may also meet:
An anesthetist who will review your health history, discuss your anesthetic plan and pain relief after surgery.
A member of the medicine team, if you have other complex health problems.
A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), or Nursing Coordinator, who specializes in the care of patients having your specific surgery. They will review any preparation that is required before your surgery, plans for discharge home after surgery and specific instructions regarding your recovery.
Stop drinking by midnight on the night before your operation. Your stomach needs to be empty.
Purchase a fleet enema at your pharmacy, and take it any time in the evening before your operation. Follow the instructions on the package.
Arrive
2 hours before your scheduled operation time:
- We will prepare you for the operation.
- If you did not see the anesthetist in the Pre-Admission Clinic, you will meet them before your operation.
- We will shave and mark the area where we are doing your operation.
- We will give you an intravenous (IV) drip. This is a small needle that we put in a vein in your arm. We use it to give you one or all of the following: fluids; antibiotics; pain medications.
On this page, you can read all about what to expect during your hospital stay. Or, just click on one of the links below, to get the answer you want right now.
- You will wake up in the
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and stay there for 1-2 hours.
- Once you are ready to leave the PACU:
-
If you are a patient at Toronto General Hospital, you will be moved to the
Urology Surgical Oncology Inpatient Unit, at Toronto General Hospital.
-
If you are a patient at Toronto Western Hospital, you will be moved to the 9B Fell Pavilion - Combined Surgical Unit, at Toronto Western Hospital.
- You will be attached to some or all of these tubes:
IV - We usually take the IV out as soon as you can drink fluids and pass gas.
Oxygen - Oxygen helps you breathe. We use either nasal prongs or a clear plastic mask.
Catheter - This tube goes up the penis to drain urine from your bladder. We usually take it out 1 or 2 days after your operation, depending on the colour of your urine.
- Once you are eating and drinking, we will prescribe pain pills that can be taken as needed.
- You might feel muscle spasms in your bladder because of the catheter. Let the nurse know if you are having pain in your bladder area. We have medication available to take away the bladder spasms.
- You might feel gas pain in your stomach after the operation. Walking will help you get rid of this pain. Only walk when a nurse determines that it is safe.
- Start some deep breathing and coughing exercises. We'll show you an exercise called
Incentive Spirometry. We will give you a pamphlet on how to do Incentive Spirometry.
- You will shower while you are in the hospital. Once you are at home, showers are better than baths because you should not be soaking in a bath with a catheter.
- Wiggle your toes and move your feet. This helps the blood in your legs to circulate.
- You will stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days. Your health care team will talk to you about your stay once you're out of the PACU.
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For Toronto Western patients: Before you go home, ask your surgeon who you should contact if you have post-operative questions, or experience complications, once you are back at home. (This information is detailed for Toronto General patients on the Back at Home tab.)
Learn more about your stay
Go to your nearest emergency department if you have pain, redness or swelling in the back of your calf or inner thigh area.
- Don't strain when you're having a bowel movement. Eat food that is high in fibre (bran, fruits, and vegetables) so that you don't get constipated. You can take mild laxatives like Metamucil, Prodiem, or Milk of Magnesia.
- Do not use suppositories or a fleet enema for at least 6 weeks after your operation.
- Drink lots of water, unless you have special instructions about your fluid intake.
- Do not strain when urinating.
- You might get tired easily. Listen to your body and don't do more than you can handle.
- Don't lift heavy things for 6 weeks after your operation. Anything over 5 kilograms or 10 lbs. is too heavy.
- Don't take anti-inflammatory medication such as Advil® or Ibuprofen for 2 weeks after the operation unless your surgeon has asked you to continue taking them. These medications may cause bleeding.
- Do not take long car trips. If you are travelling a distance, stop every 2 hours to stretch your legs.
- Do not have sex for 2 or 3 weeks after your operation.
Are you experiencing the following complications?
- You bleed heavily and the blood is bright red (not dark old blood) when you urinate and the bleeding does not decrease when you try resting and drinking more water.
- Your temperature goes higher than 38ºC (100ºF), and/or you feel chills.
- There is significant redness or increased pain where your incision is.
- There is a notable decrease in the flow of your urine or if you cannot pass urine at all.
If you are a patient at Toronto General call 416 340 3521(Urology Surgical Oncology Inpatient Unit at TGH).
Do NOT call your surgeon's office if you experience complications.
If you are a patient at Toronto Western, please call your surgeon's office.
Before you leave the hospital, we will make
1 follow-up appointment for you. The type of follow-up appointments you will continue to need will depend on the test results of the samples we collect during your operation.
When
About 4-6 weeks after the operation.
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To make or change appointments, call your surgeon's office.
