The use of cooled irrigating fluid for transurethral prostatic resection

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Transurethral prostatic resection (TUR) is a common procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
• Maintaining optimal surgical conditions, including fluid management and visibility, is crucial for TUR outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of using cooled irrigating fluid on fluid volume, blood loss, and surgical field clarity during TUR.
• To evaluate the effect of cooled irrigating fluid on patient core temperature during the procedure.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 40 patients undergoing TUR.
• Patients were allocated to receive either 8°C cooled irrigating fluid or ambient temperature fluid.
• Key metrics included irrigating fluid volume, hemoglobin loss, resected tissue weight, histological appearance, and patient core temperature.

Main Results:

• The group receiving cooled irrigating fluid used significantly less irrigating fluid.
• A trend towards reduced per-operative and post-operative hemoglobin loss was observed in the cooled fluid group, but this did not achieve statistical significance.
• The use of cooled fluid considerably improved the clarity of the operative field.

Conclusions:

• Cooled irrigating fluid in TUR procedures leads to reduced fluid consumption and enhanced surgical field visualization.
• Further research may be warranted to confirm the potential benefits of cooled fluid on minimizing blood loss in TUR.