Transurethral microwave treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy: a randomised controlled clinical trial

To determine whether transurethral microwave treatment for patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy provides significant symptomatic relief, a reduction in residual urine volumes, and improvements in flow rates compared with sham treatment.

Prospective double blind randomised study with follow up at three months.

Department of Urology in a London teaching hospital.

40 men completed the study: 22 received microwave treatment and 18 received sham treatment. Entry criteria were symptoms of prostatism of at least six months' duration, a total symptom score > 14, and a peak urine flow rate < 15 ml/s or a residual urine volume > 50 ml. Exclusion criteria were prostatic cancer, a residual urine volume > 200 ml, a very large prostate, an obstructing middle lobe, acute urinary retention, impaired renal function, coexisting urinary tract disease, and previous prostatic surgery.

A single 90 minute transurethral microwave treatment or sham treatment.

Patients' symptoms (including daytime frequency and nocturia) recorded in a self assessment symptom score questionnaire, peak urinary flow rates, and residual urine volumes.

The mean total symptom scores of the patients who received microwave treatment fell from 30 to 11 compared with a fall from 31 to 26 for patients who received sham treatment (p < 0.001). Among patients who received microwave treatment daytime frequency fell from 9.4 to 5.5 voids a day and night time frequency from 3.5 to 1.6 voids a night; residual urine volumes fell from 104 ml to 52 ml; and peak urine flow rates increased by 2.3 ml/s. In the control group there was no improvement in any of these features. Treatment preserved sexual function and antegrade ejaculation.

For selected patients with prostatism microwave treatment is effective and has few side effects.