Is the treatment unpleasant?

No, you will hardly or not feel anything of the EMDA treatment.
The light current will cause no more than a light tingling sensation of the abdomen skin (under the sponge electrodes). The nurse will subsequently move the pads somewhat so as to make the tingling disappear.

During the treatment, that will take 30 minutes, you will be lying down comfortably on a bed and could read a little, if you would want to.

After the treatment, the skin under the sponge electrodes could be somewhat red because the (direct) current has stimulated the blood circulation. This will disappear after a few hours.

Without EMDA

With EMDA

The treatment.

Are there any side effects or other risks?

Some patients may experience a tingling sensation under the sponge electrodes on the abdomen. This may occasionally be felt as unpleasant. Usually the nurse can solve this by putting a little more gel or water under the electrodes or by moving them slightly.
No other risks or side effects (directly related to EMDA) are known.

Is the treatment expensive?

The hospital has to invest in an EMDA instrument. This instrument subsequently is operational for 5 up to10 years.
In addition, for every EMDA treatment the hospital will have to purchase a catheter.
Most patients rated with a so-called 'average risk' (of the tumour recurring or becoming more malign) need only one single EMDA treatment and, therefore, only 1 catheter.
In case the hospital's laboratory has diagnosed a tumour with a relatively high risk of recurrence and progression, a much more expensive chemotherapy (BCG) may occasionally be substituted by an effective combination of EMDA with Mitomycine. In such cases approximately 7 times a BCG treatment will be substituted by a combination of EMDA with Mitomycine. The hospital will then have to spend some 20% extra for medical materials.

Obviously, based on the existing publications, the use of EMDA will help achieving major cuts in spending because:
-Fewer tumours will return (less 'recurrence')
-If the tumour returns at all, it will (on average) happen after a longer period of time ('the tumour-free interval' is bigger)

Presuming that the scientific publications on the effectiveness of EMDA are correct, the use of EMDA leads to major financial savings.

EMDA

Optimal treatment of superficial bladder tumours