Transurethral microwave thermotherapy in the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia

One hundred and forty-four patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia were treated by transurethral microwave thermotherapy between January and December 1991. Before entering the study, all patients had a Boyarsky symptom score ≥8, peak flow rate ≤15 ml/s and postvoiding residual urine ≤200 ml. Transurethral thermotherapy with the Prostatron (Technomed) was carried out as a single session (60 min) without any analgesia or sedation. Acute urinary retention occurred in 19.4% of the patients after treatment requiring catheterization for 2-3 weeks; morbidity rate was 5.5%. Six months after treatment, Boyarsky symptom score decreased from 11.73±4.97 to 4.40±3.21 (mean values±SD); peak flow rate increased on average from 8.97±4.18 to 13.07±4.87 ml/s and postvoiding residual urine decreased form 135±17.9 to 63±34.7 ml