title: Long-term followup of randomized transurethral microwave thermotherapy versus transurethral prostatic resection study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluate the durable effect of high-energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy and transurethral prostatic resection for treatment of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of bladder outflow obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1996 and March 1997, 155 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of bladder outflow obstruction were randomized to receive transurethral microwave thermotherapy (Prostatron*; device and commercial software) (82) or undergo transurethral prostatic resection (73). Initial patient evaluation was performed according to international standards. Patients were followed annually with the International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) and uroflowmetry (maximum flow rate). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to calculate the cumulative risk of re-treatment, adjusted for loss to followup.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 78 patients received transurethral microwave thermotherapy and 66 underwent transurethral prostatic resection. Median followup was 33 months. In the thermotherapy group mean maximum urinary flow rate improved from 9.2 ml. per second at baseline to 15.1, 14.5 and 11.9 ml. per second at 1, 2 and 3 years, and mean I-PSS decreased from 20 to 8, 9, and 12, respectively. In the resection group the corresponding numbers for maximum urinary flow rate were 7.8, 24.5, 23.0 and 24.7 ml. per second at 1, 2 and 3 years, and for I-PSS were 20, 3, 4 and 3, respectively. At 36 months, 14 patients in the thermotherapy and 8 from the resection groups underwent re-treatment, and the cumulative risk was 19.8% (95% confidence interval 10.4% to 29.3%) and 12.9% (4.5% to 21.3%), respectively (p = 0.28).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transurethral microwave thermotherapy and transurethral prostatic resection achieve durable improvement in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of bladder outflow obstruction, while the magnitude of improvement is higher with resection. The repeat thermotherapy is based on failure of therapy whereas repeat resection is based on complications of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Floratos
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kiemeney
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Kortmann
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Debruyne
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: de La Rosette
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D019233:Retreatment; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics