The impact of transurethral procedures for benign prostate hyperplasia on male sexual function: a meta-analysis

The effect of transurethral procedures for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) on male sexual function is still controversial, and we conducted this meta-analysis to compare the effects of different transurethral surgical procedures for the treatment of symptomatic BPH on male erectile function (EF) and ejaculatory function (EJF). Databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register, were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) that compared watchful waiting, transurethral electrovaporization (TUEVP) or holmium laser treatment (HLT) with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Trials were included if they were RCTs, contained fully available data, compared with conventional TURP for BPH, and referred to male EF and EJF. A total of 12 RCTs involving a total of 1889 subjects were selected for analysis, including 2 trials comparing TURP and watchful waiting, 6 comparing TURP with TUEVP, and 4 comparing TURP with HLT. TURP was associated with a higher occurrence of retrograde ejaculation compared with watchful waiting but not to TUEVP (P = .95) or HLT (P = .37) and associated with a lower incidence of male erectile dysfunction compared with TUEVP (P = .04) but not HLT. According to the analysis, TURP lead to a higher prevalence of retrograde ejaculation compared with watchful waiting but had less of an effect on EF than TUEVP. TURP did not have a significantly different effect on EF or EJF compared with HLT.