Journal article
Laser prostatectomy for benign prostatic obstruction
Cochrane database of systematic reviews, Vol.2000(1), pp.CD001987-CD001987
01/24/2000
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001987.pub2
PMCID: PMC8411303
PMID: 14973978
Abstract
Laser prostatectomy for benign prostatic obstruction
Bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) is a common problem for older men. LUTS can be both irritative (urgency, frequency, frequent nighttime urinations) and obstructive (weak stream, hesitancy, intermittency, and feeling the bladder is not emptied). Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is considered the gold standard treatment for symptomatic BPO. TURP improves urinary symptoms and urinary flow by surgically removing prostatic tissue through the urethra. However, side effects occurring in approximately 20% of all TURPs include blood loss requiring transfusion, infections, strictures, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and urinary retention. Laser prostatectomy, which uses a laser to destroy the enlarged prostate tissue that leads to LUTS, is a minimally invasive procedure currently used as an alternative to TURP. This review of 20 studies involving 1898 subjects found laser techniques to be useful and relatively safe alternatives to TURP. The small number of enrolled subjects and differences in study design limit any definitive conclusions regarding which type of laser technique is the most effective. Improvements in LUTS and urine flow slightly favored TURP, though laser procedures had fewer side effects and shorter hospitalization times. The follow‐up durations of these studies ranged from 6 to 36 months and men with extremely large prostates were generally excluded from the trials. The risk of needing a reoperation for recurrent LUTS was higher following laser procedures. Study results were insufficient to adequately compare laser techniques with other minimally invasive procedures. More studies, using randomized treatment assignment, enrolling larger numbers of subjects, and comprehensive measures of treatment effectiveness and side events, are needed to better define the long‐term safety and durability of laser techniques for treating LUTS associated BPO.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Laser prostatectomy for benign prostatic obstruction
- Creators
- Richard M Hoffman - New Mexico VA Health Care SystemRoderick MacDonald - Minneapolis VA Medical CenterTimothy Wilt - United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Cochrane database of systematic reviews, Vol.2000(1), pp.CD001987-CD001987
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1002/14651858.CD001987.pub2
- PMID
- 14973978
- PMCID
- PMC8411303
- ISSN
- 1469-493X
- eISSN
- 1469-493X
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/24/2000
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; General Internal Medicine; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984359562702771
Metrics
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