Standard surgical treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are safe for patients older than 75 years, Brazilian researchers concluded.
Investigators at Hospital das Clinicas da Fuculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo analyzed 100 consecutive patients older than 75 (median age 79 years). Of these, 48 had undergone transurethral resection of the prostate and 52 had undergone open prostatectomy. The cohort had a median International Prostate Symptom Score of 20, a median prostate volume of 83 grams, and a median PSA level of 5 ng/mL, according to a report in Clinics (2012;67:1415-1418). The most common urological complication was urethral stenosis, which occurred in 10% of cases. In addition, bladder neck sclerosis, urinary fistula, and late macroscopic hematuria each occurred in 2% of cases. No patient experienced postoperative urinary incontinence.
“According to the data presented in this study, complications are infrequent, and standard surgical treatments for the treatment of BPH are safe for elderly patients,” the researchers concluded. “No clinical variable was associated with the occurrence of complications. In our study, most patients were satisfied after surgery.”
Continue Reading
