Does bipolar energy provide any advantage over monopolar surgery in transurethral resection of non-muscle invasive bladder tumors? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To provide most recent and high quality evidence concerning the comparison between monopolar and bipolar transurethral resection of non-muscle invasive bladder tumors. Materials and methods Two researchers performed a systematic review of the current literature independently, to identify studies published in English language. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from inception to 31st May 2019. The included primary endpoints of the study were: detrusor muscle sampling rates, cautery artifact occurrence among specimens and 1- or 2-year recurrence rates, overall complication rate, transfusion rate, obturator reflex and bladder perforation rates. Secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay, operation room time, hemoglobin drop, urinary tract infections, TUR-syndrome, serum sodium drop and acute urinary retention rates. Results 23 studies (14 RCTs and 9 observational) were included for qualitative and quantitative synthesis, recruiting 9815 patients in monopolar resection group and 10,112 patients in bipolar resection group (experimental). We found significant differences in favor of bipolar energy in terms of cautery artifact and length of stay with bladder perforation rates were found to be significantly better in bipolar system even though these results did not sustain when RCT's only analysis was performed. No differences were found in rates of obturator reflex (even though RCT's analysis advised differently), tumor recurrence and most of the secondary endpoints. Conclusions Bipolar transurethral bladder tumor resection is as safe and efficient as its monopolar counterpart. Bipolar technology is related to less obturator nerve contractions and less tissue thermal artifacts during resection and may result in less hospital stay.

Automated summary

The study found that bipolar transurethral bladder tumor resection has significant advantages over its monopolar counterpart in terms of cautery artifact and length of stay. Although these results did not sustain when analyzed in randomized controlled trials, bladder perforation rates were significantly better in the bipolar system.