title: Urethral strictures and bipolar transurethral resection in saline of the prostate: fact or fiction?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of urethral strictures after monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and bipolar transurethral resection in saline (TURIS) for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2005 and January 2009, 518 patients with symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia underwent either monopolar or bipolar resection. In a randomized trial, the incidence of urethral strictures after both treatment modalities was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 48 months, 255 patients were treated with conventional TURP and 263 patients with TURIS. Patient related, operation, and hospitalization characteristics were similar in both groups. After a mean follow-up of 32.1 months (range 50-7 months), the incidence of urethral strictures was 2.4% in the TURP group. After a comparable period of 31.4 months (range 50-7 months), the incidence in the TURIS group was 1.5%. No statistically significant difference was obtained (P = 0.539). These values were compared with the results of other randomized controlled trials with the same or other bipolar technology. No statistically significant difference in urethral structures was noticed between monopolar and bipolar resections (P = 0.739).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With a stricture incidence of 1.5%, bipolar transurethral prostate resection has a low stricture rate, comparable with monopolar TURP (2.4%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. dirk.michielsen@uzbrussel.be
authors.forename: Dirk P J
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Michielsen
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coomans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011467:Prostate / Q000601:surgery*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride