Innovative new treatment for bladder tumours

An innovative new treatment for bladder tumours has been introduced at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital, offering patients a less invasive alternative to traditional surgery.

The procedure, known as Transurethral Laser Ablation (TULA), allows selected patients to have bladder tumours treated in an outpatient setting under local anaesthetic.

Nick Weaver was one of the first patients to receive the treatment in the Urology Department at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

The 74-year-old from Codsall was diagnosed with bladder cancer two and a half years ago, with small tumours in the lining of the bladder.

These were removed and Nick is currently receiving BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) which is an immunotherapy used to prevent the cancer from recurring or progressing and receives regular follow up cystoscopies.

Nick said: “Following a recent cystoscopy, areas were identified in my bladder that required a biopsy.

“This normally would have been undertaken following a general anaesthetic, but I chose to undergo a new laser procedure which didn’t require a general anaesthetic so was able to return home the same day.

“Using the laser allowed the Urology team to cauterise areas where the biopsy was taken and to further treat areas where the surgeon felt required treatment.

“The whole procedure lasted less than forty minutes. The results were good and no cancer was identified.

“The team at New Cross are world-class. A fantastic group of people and I am very grateful.”

Traditionally, patients requiring treatment for bladder tumours would need to undergo pre-operative assessment followed by a day-case procedure at the hospital’s Beynon Centre under general or spinal anaesthetic.

This process often required recovery time, post-procedure monitoring, and support at home after discharge.

With TULA, patients can now attend an outpatient appointment, undergo treatment while awake, and leave the department shortly afterwards—eliminating the need for hospital admission and anaesthetic recovery.

The introduction of this service aligns with national guidance from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, which recommends expanding outpatient-based pathways.
GIRFT highlights that the adoption of transurethral laser ablation across urology units in England has shown “significant promise in improving the delivery of bladder cancer services,” with a key principle being to move care away from theatre settings and unnecessary admissions.

The department’s first TULA list, undertaken in May, included three patients. Feedback was highly positive and all three patients said they would choose the procedure again over a day-case operation under general anaesthetic.

The inaugural list was supported by members of the Beynon Theatre Team, alongside Laura Clark from Promed Limited (medical laser distributor) ensuring a smooth introduction of the new service.

Andeana Andreas, Urology Outpatients Departmental Manager, said: “This initiative reflects the department’s commitment to improving patient care by adopting innovative, evidence-based techniques.

“By reducing hospital stay, minimising recovery time, and enhancing patient comfort, TULA is expected to play an important role in the future delivery of bladder cancer treatment.