3-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF PATIENTS TREATED WITH LOWER ENERGY MICROWAVE THERMOTHERAPY

Purpose: A retrospective study was done to investigate the long-term o utcome of patients treated with lower energy transurethral microwave t hermotherapy. Materials and Methods: A total of 305 patients with lowe r urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hypertrophy underwent tr ansurethral microwave thermotherapy according to a similar protocol at 2 centers. Results: After 3 years of followup 133 patients who had un dergone transurethral microwave thermotherapy alone were available for study. During this observation period significant symptomatic improve ment from baseline and an improved maximum flow rate of 2.6 ml. per se cond were noted. Of the patients 125 underwent invasive or medical tre atment. Conclusions: After 3 years of followup lower energy transureth ral microwave thermotherapy showed significant and durable improvement s in baseline parameters in 52% of the patients.