The severity of lower urinary tract symptoms during the postoperative period as a factor in choosing an approach to surgical treatment for large prostate hyperplasia: holmium enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) vs laparoscopic simple prostatectomy

Abstract

Introduction. Analysis of complications after transurethral surgery for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) demonstrates that 20 – 30% of patients require prolonged postoperative treatment for severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) despite improvements in technology and surgical techniques. These complications play a significant role in reducing the quality of life of patients in the postoperative period. Severe storage symptoms and urgent urinary incontinence represent significant challenges in the postoperative phase when performing laser enucleation surgery. There are also limits to standard approaches to perform laparoscopic prostatectomy, which requires the development of improved techniques.Objective. To conduct a comparative assessment of the postoperative dynamics of LUTS in groups undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), a standard Millin laparoscopic simple prostatectomy (LSP), and a modified LSP.Materials & Methods. This multicenter study included 439 patients who were randomly assigned to 3 groups depending on the surgical treatment technique used for bladder outlet obstruction associated with large-volume BPH: the HoLEP group (n = 151), the standard Millin LSP (n = 142) and the modified LSP, combined with temporary clamping of the internal iliac arteries and vesicourethral anastomosis (n = 146). The main criterion assessed during six-months follow-up was the severity of LUTS on the IPSS scale (obstructive and irritative components). Complications that developed during the postoperative observation period were recorded.Results. A lower severity of LUTS was revealed in the group of the modified LSP compared to the standard LSP and HoLEP (p = 0.041 and p = 0.001, respectively). The average irritative component of IPSS was significantly lower in the modified LSP group compared to the standard LSP and HoLEP (p = 0.032 and p = 0.001, respectively). The observed trend continued to the third month after surgery. Comparison of changes in symptom severity six months after surgery demonstrated a significant advantage for the modified LSP both compared to HoLEP (p = 0.017) and a standard LSP (p = 0.032). All three groups showed comparable significant improvements in quality of life.Conclusion. The severity of postoperative storage symptoms is a limitation of HoLEP use, whereas the standard LSP is associated with lower severity of LUTS. The authors' modification of the LSP has the potential to reduce the severity of storage symptoms in patients for up to three months after surgery, and is associated with a low rate of urge incontinence.