Does Bipolar Transuretral Resection of Prostate Increase the Incidence of Urethral Stricture?

Abstract

Objective: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) remains the gold standard surgical method for patients with benign prostate obstruction. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and complication rates of bipolar TURP applied with saline and monopolar TURP applied with glycine, performed by the same surgeon.

Design: Retrospective study

Setting: Department of Urology, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey

Subjects: Ninety-two patients who were scheduled for monopolar and bipolar TURP

Intervention: All the surgical procedures were applied under spinal anesthesia and the procedure was done by the same surgeon. The cases were compared in respect of the time of the procedure, the amount of resected tissue, the speed of resection, length of hospital stay, irrigation duration, changes in serum haemoglobin, changes in maximum flow rate, changes in amount of post-voiding residual urine and complications.

Main Outcome Measure: Urethral stricture

Results: The operating time was longer in the bipolar group and associated with that, the resection speed was lower. Urethral stricture was found to be greater in the bipolar group (11 cases of the 58 bipolar TURP patients (18.96%) and in 2 cases of the 34 monopolar TURP patient (5.88%), P=.045).

Conclusions: Bipolar TURP is as effective a technique as conventional TURP. However, urethral strictures significantly exist in bipolar group, even if it was done by the same surgeon.