THE ANATOMY OF A PROSTATE WAITING LIST - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF 132 CONSECUTIVE PATIENTS

Objective To report the results of a standard evaluation programme per formed prior to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURF) for ben ign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Patients and methods All 132 patients with symptoms of prostatism on the waiting list for surgery were invi ted to attend the hospital to undergo a physical examination, symptom evaluation and routine blood sampling. Of these, 117 attended. If the suspicion of BPH was sustained a transrectal ultrasound examination of the prostate and a urodynamic evaluation, including a pressure-now st udy, were performed. Results Urodynamic evaluation was carried out in 80 of the 117 patients who attended the clinic. Infravesical obstructi on was present in 61 patients while in 19 (24%) there was no obstructi on. An operative procedure to relieve obstruction was performed in 65 patients (49%). Conclusions In a population of patients scheduled for TURF, 24% were found not to have an obstruction. This is in accordance with other reports. As the patients with few symptoms and those who d id not have an obstruction were treated conservatively only 49% of the referred cases underwent prostatic surgery.