A randomized prospective study of laser ablation of the prostate versus transurethral resection of the prostate in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objectives, To compare the safety and efficacy of laser ablation of the prostate, one of the minimally invasive treatments available for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Methods. A prospective randomized study of 100 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, with 50 patients in each:treatment arm, was conducted. All patients met the entry criteria: age older than 45 years, no history of carcinoma of the prostate, a peak flow rate less than 15 mL/s, medical therapy failure, and the ability to undergo regional or general anesthesia. All patients underwent a preoperative evaluation consisting of the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom score, uroflowmetry, pressure-flow study, transrectal ultrasound for prostate volume, and serum prostate-specific antigen determination. Patients underwent either TURF or laser ablation of the prostate using the potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP)/neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. Patients were seen for follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results. The mean age was 68.2 years (range 45 to 90) for the laser group and 67.4 years (range 54 to 82) for the TURP group. The mean AUA symptom score was 22 for the laser group and 21 for the TURF group. The mean peak uroflow rate was 7.6 +/- 3.4 mL/s for the laser group and 6.5 +/- 4.0 mL/s for the TURF group. At 12 months of follow-up, the mean AUA symptom score had decreased to 7 (-69.5%) for the laser group and to 3 (-80.9%) for the TURF group. The mean peak uroflow rate increased to 15.4 mL/s (+107.8%) for the laser group and to 16.7 mL/s (+150.7%) for the TURP cohort.:Seventy-five percent of the laser group had a 50% or greater decrease in their individual AUA symptom score compared with 93% of the TURF group. Sixty-five percent of the laser cohort had a 50% or greater increase in their peak uroflow rate compared: with 75% of the TURF cohort. Conclusions. Laser prostatectomy produced improvements in the peak flow rate and symptom score similar to those produced by TURF. The patients who underwent laser treatment required a longer period to reach maximum improvement, which probably reflects the lack of:tissue debulking at the time of surgery. Further improvement in laser technology will be required to produce more immediate results. (C) 1999, Elsevier Science Inc.