[Bladder neck sclerosis after transurethral resection of the prostate. "Study Group of the Puigvert Foundation"]

We reviewed 623 patients who underwent trans-urethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and 18 (2.8%) developed bladder neck contracture (BNC), in most cases symptomatic. Sclerosis appeared between 2 and 100 months after TURP (mean 9 months, median 19 months). Most were small prostates at the time of resection, with a mean resected weight of 10.5 g (SD 5.9), although there were no statistically significant differences between patients with and without contracture. Patients have been followed for a mean of 44.5 months. Three patients were not operated: two were asymptomatic and another one died one month postoperatively due to unrelated causes. The overall success rate was 75% and cold knife incision of the bladder neck accounted for a 90% success rate. Cold knife incision provides good long term satisfaction in patients with post-operative BNC. The difficulties in the study of this complication are analyzed.