title: Is follow-up necessary after transurethral resection of the prostate?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the necessity for routine out-patient review following transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hypertrophy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred and two patients with histologically proven benign prostatic hypertrophy were prospectively reviewed as out-patients. The views of their general practitioners were established by postal questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At their first out-patient review 94 of 102 (92%) patients were discharged and only 2% (2/102) patients remained under review after 1 year. Apart from routine urine analysis, only four additional investigations were initiated at the routine clinical assessment. One patient was listed to undergo prostatic surgery again following the post-operative out-patient review. Over the next 16 months only three patients (3%) were re-referred with further urological problems. Confidence in a system without routine hospital out-patient review was expressed by 90% of general practitioners and 78% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Follow-up after TURP cannot be justified in terms of the perceived therapeutic benefit to patients. Patients should be discharged to the community and be assessed rapidly in out-patients if and when problems arise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hanbury
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cranston
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome