Time to rebrand transurethral resection of the prostate?

Transurethral resection of the prostate remains the gold standard treatment for benign prostatic obstruction. Owing to the significant morbidity traditionally associated with the procedure, a large number of expensive, high-energy alternative treatments have been developed, which have enjoyed varying degrees of success. At the same time, transurethral resection of the prostate has evolved into a safer operation whilst maintaining its excellent efficacy. This review aims to outline the major advances that have occurred recently in transurethral resection of the prostate.

Optimizing each stage of transurethral resection of the prostate can result in reduced morbidity. Preoperative treatment with oral antiandrogens and 5-reductase inhibitors appears to reduce intraoperative bleeding, appropriate prophylactic antibiotic regimens reduce postoperative infection rates, improved instrumentation and diathermy delivery can reduce intraoperative bleeding and hence reduce postoperative irrigation requirements, and alcohol monitoring of irrigant absorption can eliminate transurethral resection syndrome. Careful patient selection, meticulous surgical technique combined with an aggressive postoperative irrigation and catheter removal policy can result in transurethral resection of the prostate being performed safely on a day-case basis.

Whilst our attention has been distracted by the many alternative treatments brought to the market over the past decade or so, transurethral resection of the prostate has been undergoing a quiet evolution. With fine tuning of all aspects of the patient journey we can now offer a procedure with excellent long-term efficacy combined with reduced morbidity and inpatient stay.