title: Catheter-assisted transurethral resection of the prostate: a novel approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to compare the safety and efficacy of catheter-assisted transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with traditional TURP in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 61 men were randomized to either catheter-assisted TURP (30 patients) or traditional TURP (31), both performed with a monopolar device. Measurements included the duration of Foley catheterization, length of hospital stay, symptom score and urinary flow rate. All patients were followed for at least 1 year after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The catheter-assisted group had a significantly shorter operative time, duration of postoperative catheterization and length of stay. There were no significant differences in changes in serum sodium and hemoglobin level on postoperative day 1. At 1 year postoperatively, none of the patients suffered from urethral stricture and the 2 groups did not differ significantly in terms of prostatic volume, peak flow rate or International Prostate Symptom Score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Catheter-assisted TURP is safe and produced results at 1 year similar to traditional TURP. This new method for TURP appears to be a better and more effective approach than the traditional method, although a longer period of observation is needed to assess the durability of the results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Jen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Yung-Chiong
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Chun-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu-Hsien
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Wen-Chou
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Stone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002404:Catheterization; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014546:Urinary Catheterization; D014563:Urodynamics