Peking University Hospital does bladder irrigation on Thursday mornings. Patients can register for a one-dollar unlimited number of irrigation treatments at the outpatient clinic. The perfusion is done in the outpatient urology treatment room (second floor of the outpatient department of Peking University Hospital). Patients should bring all their medical records (the entire inpatient medical record, including ultrasound, surgery records, pathology results, etc.) and let the doctor in the perfusion treatment room read them before waiting for treatment. It is very important to bring the surgical records and pathology reports for perfusion.
It is not necessary to fast or abstain from water for perfusion treatment, but the patient needs to fully empty the urine before perfusion to avoid dilution of the medication by residual urine in the bladder, which will make the treatment less effective. The nurse inserts the catheter into the bladder through the urethra to instill the medication without local anesthesia; patients with urethral stricture or prostatic hyperplasia can choose a thinner tube that does not affect the operation as well as the therapeutic effect.
The retention time of drug infusion usually takes from half an hour to an hour. Due to the stimulating effect of chemotherapy drugs, patients may experience strong urge to urinate or pain in the urinary tract and other symptoms, so it is best to tolerate it.
The length of treatment should not exceed one hour because the chemotherapy drugs may cause cystitis or even urinary stricture if left in place for too long. After treatment, the bladder needs to be fully emptied and the bladder needs to be flushed with plenty of water, generally requiring more than 2,000 ml per day.
Perfusion therapy does not require hospitalization and you can go home at the end of the treatment. However, some older patients may need to be accompanied by family members for various reasons, such as pain in the urinary tract and limited mobility.