Patients with suspected bladder cancer are now able to have biopsies taken and tumours removed much quicker as an outpatient – reducing the need for them to come back in for surgery.

This is thanks to our new laser machine in the Maple Suite at King George Hospital which allows us to perform a Transurethral Laser Ablation (TULA) under local anaesthetic. This is where the laser is used to burn away tumours.

Kuldip Chagger, our Surgery Matron (pictured above second left with members of our team and the TULA machine), said: “Previously, if we found tumours or red patches of concern in the bladder, patients would need surgery to remove them.

“This would involve a pre-assessment to ensure they were fit for an operation, then coming into hospital for several hours for their surgery, and in some cases staying overnight. Now, patients with small tumours are able to have these removed as an outpatient in as little as 40 minutes or less. It saves them having to come back and all the patients we’ve seen so far have said the procedure is pain free.”

Following the success of our first TULA session, in which three patients had the procedure, we plan to hold them fortnightly, seeing six patients each time.