Transurethral incision of the bladder neck and prostate

Between March 1983 and December 1988, 66 men 50 years old and older with symptomatic bladder outlet obstruction underwent transurethral incision of the bladder neck and prostate. Patients selected for incision had a small, clinically benign, prostate and peak urinary flow rate of less than 15 ml. per second. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation included symptom questionnaires and uroflowmetry. A single midline incision was made extending from the bladder neck to the verumontanum. Results were available in 64 of the 66 men who underwent the procedure with a mean followup of 2.24 years. Mean symptom scores decreased from 9.66 preoperatively to 4.59 postoperatively (p less than 0.001) and peak urinary flow rates increased from 7.4 to 14.7 ml. per second (p less than 0.0001). Antegrade ejaculation was preserved in 83.3% of the men who preoperatively had antegrade ejaculation. Subsequent transurethral resection of the prostate was required in 5 patients (7.6%). With a mean followup of greater than 2 years transurethral incision of the bladder neck and prostate was effective in treatment of bladder outlet obstruction caused by a small prostate while maintaining antegrade ejaculation in the majority of patients.