A STANDARD PROTOCOL FOR THE EVALUATION OF LASER TREATMENT OF THE PROSTATE

Objectives To present a standardized protocol, suitable for general us e, for the evaluation of laser treatment of the prostate. Methods Many new operative treatments which are available to treat symptomatic pro static enlargement are being accepted and offered to patients after sc anty clinical evaluation, e.g. interventions using lasers. A consisten t and standard protocol was developed, comprising data-recording sheet s for patients' admission details, pre-operative assessments, operativ e details of laser ablation, post-operative in-patient progress and re -attendance, and subsequent out-patient follow-up. Results The protoco l was tested by the members of BLUES and fulfilled their requirement f or easy use in any department of Urology. It provides a simple way of accurately recording relevant data within a structured format with the additional advantage of permitting results to be expressed uniformly. Conclusion The adoption of this protocol will allow valid comparisons of core data between studies assessing different procedures. The flex ibility of the protocol enables it to be used, with minor modification , for the evaluation of any operative intervention aimed at relievin g prostatic symptoms.