Role of balloon dilation in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Transurethral balloon dilation of the prostate (TUDP) is a nonsurgical procedure for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This procedure was used to treat 62 men with moderate to severe BPH who were candidates for TURP. Following a paraprostatic block to anesthetize the prostate, the prostatic urethra and bladder neck were dilated to 90 French for 10 minutes at 4 atm. The dilating balloon was properly positioned using fluoroscopy, endoscopy, or digital palpation to avoid dilating the external urethral sphincter. TUDP resulted in significant symptomatic improvement in 70% of patients at 6 months and in 58% of patients at 1 year follow-up. Thirteen patients who did not improve had median lobe enlargement, suggesting that TUDP may not be effective in these patients. There were no serious complications or changes in sexual function. This preliminary data suggests that TUDP is a simple, safe, and effective procedure; however, further study is needed to assess long-term efficacy of TUDP.