[Complications of transurethral resection of prostate]

A total of 342 benign prostatic hypertrophy patients were treated at the Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital from January 1972 to December 1988. Median duration of operating time was 74.4 minutes, 67 patients (20%) required a blood transfusion and the mean volume of blood per patient transfused was 1019.4 ml. Median post-operative catheter management was 7 days and the median post-operative ward time was 8.6 days. Two patients (0.5%) had a bladder lesion with peritoneal perforation and required a secondary operation for bladder suture. Secondary hemorrhaging return for treatment of clotting was seen in 11 cases (3.2%). Stress incontinence was noted in 11 cases (3.2%). Anterior urethral stricture was noted in 9 cases (2.6%), impotence occurred in only one case (0.3%) and TUR syndrome in 2 (0.6%). There were two post-operative deaths, for a mortality rate of 0.6 percent. The causes of death were sepsis in one patient and acute renal failure in the other.