Treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) using a new approach to a technique called transurethral split of the prostate (TUSP) is safe and effective in the long term, according to a retrospective study of over 330 patients who underwent this procedure and were followed for three to eight years.

The study, “Effect Of Transurethral Split Of The Prostate Using A Double-Columnar Balloon Catheter For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Single-Center Experience Of 565 Consecutive Patients,” published in the journal Medicine, demonstrated that TUSP with a double-columnar balloon catheter was quick and minimally invasive, had few postoperative complications, and a low recurrence rate.

“Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has been considered as the gold standard to treat BPH for decades,” the researchers wrote. “However, TURP is rather invasive as evidenced by that significant complications were witnessed in about 20% patients within 10 years.”

“Fortunately, our department has been committed to improve the balloon catheter and we previously reported that the transurethral split of the prostate (TUSP) with a double-deck columnar balloons (internal and external balloons) catheter was associated with good therapeutic effect and few complications in 113 BPH patients. Recently, we further developed a double-columnar balloon (proximal and distal balloons) catheter based on the previous research.”

Researchers wanted to evaluate the TUSP procedure, using the newly designed catheters, in the long-term recovery of BPH patients. To do so, 565 BPH patients (mean age 73.6, age range 46–94) who underwent TUSP surgery between at  Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, in China, between January 2006 and January 2015.

All patients were examined in terms of prostate size, PSA, preoperative and postoperative maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual (PVR), international prostate symptoms score (IPSS) and quality of life score, and for postoperative complications. The mean pre-operative prostates size was 48.6 ± 8.2 mL (range 33–230 mL), and the PSA level was 0.8 to 18.6 ng/mL.

The complete TUSP procedure took around 10 minutes.

After the procedure, patients showed improved mean Qmax, mean PVR, and quality of life and IPSS scores. Among the 328 patients who were followed for at least three years (38 to 99 months), only three patients reported a recurrence of dysuria (pain while urinating), a problem that improved in two after a second TUSP procedure (the third patient chose to undergo TURP).

“TUSP with a double-columnar balloons (proximal and distal balloons) catheter was a safe and long-term efficient treatment for BPH, with minimal invasion, short operative time, few postoperative complications, and low recurrence rate. It would be an ideal choice for BPH patients who were unwell or intolerant for TURP,” the researchers concluded.