EXTIRPATION AND FULGURATION OF MULTIPLE SUPERFICIAL BLADDER-TUMOR RECURRENCES UNDER INTRAVESICAL LIGNOCAINE ANESTHESIA

Objective To register the results, complications and patient acceptanc e of bladder tumour operations under local anaesthesia. Patients and m ethods Intravesical lignocaine was the anaesthesia used in 30 patients with multiple bladder tumour recurrences. The largest tumour was exti rpated with large flexible biopsy forceps and the others were fulgurat ed. Results All visible tumours were extirpated or fulgurated except i n one patient, where the operation had to be terminated due to unsatis factory anaesthesia. All left the hospital within 2h of surgery. Compl ications were minor and patient acceptance was very high. Conclusion T hese operations have previously been performed under spinal anaesthesi a in this department and the present modification reduced costs by app roximately 70%. Patients who had only minor discomfort associated with routine cystoscopy under urethral anaesthesia were well suited for ex tirpation and fulguration of multiple small tumours under intravesical lignocaine.