[The high risk patient with symptomatic prostatic hyperplasia--a therapeutic dilemma?]

Since a few year, a lot of new methods in therapy of symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia are available. Until now, none of these methods could reach the outcome of surgical therapy. Therefore, surgery is remaining the golden standard in the therapy of BPH. Alternative methods are of great importance in the treatment of "high risk patients". It may be possible to improve the quality of life. Laser therapy and intraurethral catheters are superseding transurethral and suprapubic catheters. The indication for the several methods has to been proven critically.