Is warm temperature necessary to prevent urethral stricture in combined transurethral resection and vaporization of prostate?
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effect of warm and room temperature irrigation solution on the incidence of urethral stricture during combined transurethral resection and vaporization of the prostate (CTURVP). Urethral stricture after transurethral surgery of the prostate is a bothersome complication. Warm irrigation improves the blood flow and might decrease the incidence of urethral stricture compared with the use of room temperature irrigation, which decreases the blood flow in the urethral mucosa, resulting in ischemic injury.


METHODS
The patients who underwent CTURVP were divided into those receiving only room temperature irrigation solution (group 1, 75 patients) or warm irrigation solution with a system maintaining the temperature of the ventral penile skin at about 36 degrees C continuously (group 2, 78 patients). At follow-up, 1, 3, and 6 months later, the International Prostate Symptom Score and peak urine flow rate were evaluated.


RESULTS
The temperature of the ventral penile skin was 20 degrees C and 36 degrees C in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The rate of urethral stricture was 21.3% in group 1 and 6.3% in group 2 at the end of 6 months of follow-up (P = .002).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study have shown that maintaining the temperature of the urethra with warm irrigation solution during CTURVP probably decreases the incidence of urethral stricture. The temperature in the urethra could be another important factor in stricture formation after CTURVP.
Park
Jong Kwan
JK
Department of Urology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Chonju, Korea. rain@chonbuk.ac.kr
Lee
Sang Kyi
SK
Han
Suk Hee
SH
Kim
Sang Deuk
SD
Choi
Kyung Soo
KS
Kim
Myung Ki
MK
D000368:Aged; D001831:Body Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012996:Solutions; D013696:Temperature; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
D012996:Solutions