IS PLANNED CONTINUOUS IRRIGATION INDICATED FOR HEMORRHAGE FOLLOWING TRANSURETHRAL RESECTION OF THE PROSTATE

A prospective audit was carried out of this unit's policy of non-irrig ation following transurethral prostatectomy (TURP). Over an 11-month p eriod 121 TURPs were performed. Only 29 patients required intervention to maintain bladder drainage post-operatively, 23 of these requiring bladder washout alone. In the remaining 6 patients catheter change and continuous irrigation were required. The weight of tissue resected wa s the only factor investigated which bore a significant relationship t o the necessity for further intervention in bladder drainage post-oper atively. Despite this, patients requiring continuous irrigation post-o peratively could not be easily identified prior to or during surgery.