Electrovaporization of bladder ulcer, A new approach for treatment of Bilharzial bladder ulcer

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work was to study the safety and efficacy of electrovaporization as a new modality of treatment of bilharzial bladder ulcers. Sixty-six patients with bilharzial bladder ulcers have been treated by the use of vaportrode or pencil tip electrocautery electrode at high cutting current to evaporate the ulcer bearing area, till the perivesical tissue was exposed. Indwelling urethral catheters were fixed for one week. Successful vaporization of the ulcer bearing area was recorded in 59 patients. Failure to get satisfactory vaporization was reported in seven patients due to extensive calcification in the ulcer bearing area, for whom even trial of excision was failed. The operative time ranged from 7 to 18 minutes. Some postoperative complications occurred in the form of deep hematuria in four patients, peritonism in five patients and secondary hemorrhage in two patients. Symptomatic relief was recorded in 52 patients immediately after the removal of the catheter. Persistence of symptoms was encountered in five patients and proved to be due to persistence of the ulcer, as proved by cystoscopy in two patients and incomplete healing in three patients. Vaporization of chronic bilharzial bladder ulcer is an effective, easy and safe modality of treatment without considerable complications