Purpose: We evaluated the impact of a bladder perforation during transurethral resection of superficial bladder tumor on extravesical tumor recurrence and patient prognosis. We also defined potential risk factors for extravesical recurrence prospectively giving emphasis to the management of the perforation.
Materials and methods: The medical records of 3,410 patients were reviewed. Parameters recorded included patient age and sex, tumor stage, grade, number, size and location at the time of perforation, the type of bladder perforation (extraperitoneal vs intraperitoneal) and the way the perforation was managed (open surgical repair vs conservative treatment). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for extravesical recurrence. Cox regression analysis was used to compare cancer specific survival.
Results: A total of 34 cases of bladder perforation were recorded, 4 patients were treated with open surgery and 30 treated conservatively. The 4 patients who underwent open surgery presented with extravesical recurrence after a mean followup of 7.5 months. The remaining 30 patients had no evidence of extravesical recurrence after a mean followup of 60 months (p <0.001). Of the patients with extravesical relapse 3 died of disease. The surgical management of bladder perforation was the best predictor of extravesical recurrence (p <0.001, r = 1.13), followed by an intraperitoneal localization of the perforation (p =0.0003, r = 0.67) and tumor size (p =0.01, r = 0.42).
Conclusions: Surgical repair of a bladder perforation during transurethral resection of bladder tumor increases the risk of extravesical tumor cell recurrence and negatively affects patient prognosis.