MORBIDITY OF THE EVALUATION OF THE LOWER URINARY-TRACT WITH TRANSURETHRAL MULTICHANNEL PRESSURE-FLOW STUDIES

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to determine morbidity and complication rate of invasive urodynamic evaluation of the lower u rinary tract after transurethral multichannel pressure-flow studies. M aterials and Methods: The study included 63 men with the clinical diag nosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia and 56 women with stress urinary incontinence. All patients underwent routine pressure-flow study as p art of the urodynamic evaluation. A week later the patients returned f or followup which also included a detailed interview on post-evaluatio n morbidity. Results: The overall complication rate, including urinary retention, gross hematuria, urinary tract infection and fever, was 19 .0% (12 of 63) for men and 1.8% (1 of 56) for women. In men there was no statistically significant correlation between post-void residual ur ine or age and complication rate (p > 0.05). Of the men 4.8% experienc ed post-investigational urinary retention and all of them had signific ant bladder outflow obstruction. In addition, obstructed men reported a higher incidence of dysuria and pain (76.2%, 32 of 42) compared to t hose without obstruction (57.1%, 12 of 21), whereas only 53.6% of wome n reported these complaints. Of the 63 men 4 (6.2%) had significant ur inary tract infections, while only 1 woman (1.8%) had infections. Conc lusions: Invasive urodynamic investigation is associated with a consid erable rate of complications and morbidity, particularly in men with i nfravesical obstruction. These facts must be considered and discussed with the patient before urodynamic testing.