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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
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Published on: May 9, 2018
Efficacy of Water Vapor Thermal Therapy by Prostate Volume in Large (>80 cc) and Average (≤80 cc) Cohorts-A
Ahmer Farooq1, Phillip Westbrook1, Tyson Rogers2
1Center for Male Health, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL; Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Objective:
To compare water vapor thermal therapy (WVTT) outcomes in patients with large prostate volumes (>80 cc), compared to average glands (≤80 cc), via a systematic literature review.
Methods:
Articles reporting outcomes for both large and average gland separately were identified in Medline and Embase (dates: 2013-31 August 2024). Risk of bias was evaluated with ROBINS-I. Changes in peak flow rate (Qmax) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) at 3 (primary outcomes), 6 and 12 months (secondary outcomes) were meta-analyzed using a random-effects model. Adverse events were also collected.
Results:
Twelve articles corresponding to 11 studies were included. Meta-analyzed improvements in IPSS between baseline and 3 months post-procedure (2 studies) were -9.9 ± 7.7 (n = 159) and -11.2 ± 8.9 (n = 61) points in the average and large gland groups, respectively. IPSS improvements were comparable between groups at 3, 6, or 12 months. At 3 months post-procedure, Qmax improved by 5.1 ± 6.7 mL/s and 7.2 ± 8.9 mL/s in average (n = 220) and large gland patients (n = 109), respectively (4 studies). Qmax improvements were comparable at 3 and 12 months (2 studies), and higher in large vs average gland at 6 months (P = .009, 3 studies). Complications were comparable between groups.
Conclusion:
Despite limited follow-up and study numbers, WVTT appears effective across prostate sizes without added complications.
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