Prostate news article, August 2004
| TRANSURETHERAL
ELECTROVAPORISATION (TUEVP) VERSUS TRANSURETHERAL RESECTION (TURP)
FOR SYMPTOMATIC PROSTATIC OBSTRUCTION: A COMPARISON.
V. Poulakis, P. Dahm, U. Witzsch, A.J. Sutton and E. Becht. British Journal of Urology, July 2004 : July (94), 89-95. Reviewed by: Mr Zach Dovey, MRCP FRCS |
TURP has reported success rates of 85 - 90% with complications in up to 18% of patients. TUEVP of the prostate is an alternative treatment introduced 10 years ago.
The above investigators performed an analysis of a group of clinical trials from 1993 to 2003 comparing the two treatments, stating the most important postoperative outcomes as maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and urinary symptom score (IPSS) but also looking at the duration of operation , blood transfusion rate, short and long term treatment-related complications, length of stay in hospital, catheterisation time after surgery, re-operation rate and sexual dysfunction.
Based on these outcome measures, twenty clinical trials were suitable for analysis with 1489 patients taking part.
The results suggested that both TURP and TUEVP are equally effective with similar improvements in Qmax and IPSS although follow up was for one year only.
For the other measures of outcome, TUEVP had lower rates of blood transfusion (0% vs 4%) and shorter postoperative catheterisation times and hospital stay (by approximately a day for each), whereas TURP showed less urinary retention (3% vs 8.3%) and lower re-operation rates (2.1% vs 5.4%).
As the follow up was short, and based on these results, the authors felt a formal clinical trial would be useful to compare the effectiveness of each operation. Hopefully this is something which will take place in the future.