[Prostate hypertrophy. Surgical experience in Belgium. Multi-center study of 1,140 patients of 80 years and older]

An inquiry organized by the Belgian Society of Surgery brought data on the mortality and morbidity of surgery on patients of 80 years and older for benign prostatic hypertrophy in a total number of 1,140 operations. Consensus exist to see this surgery as planned surgery. The mortality was 73 (6.3%) without statistical difference between endoscopic and open surgery. The morbidity of 824 patients was 165. This last figure relates to the big series in the literature. The mortality is in direct relation to the age of the patients. Evaluation of cardio-pulmonary risk (70.8% of the mortality), operation on indication at earlier diagnosis and prospective studies on the risk of operation in this population group are indicated.