Objective: To investigate the hemostatic capability of mono- and bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) by comparing the microvessel diameter of hyperplastic prostate with the coagulation depth achieved with mono- and bipolar TURP.
Material and methods: The microvessel diameters of 22 hyperplastic prostate tissues obtained from open surgery were measured using a microscope. Thirty prostatic chips harvested from monopolar TURP and 30 from bipolar TURP were sectioned, stained with hematoxylin-eosin and the coagulation depth measured using a microscope.
Results: The minimum, maximum and mean diameters of hyperplastic prostates were 6.33, 139.04 and 21.19+/-12.80 microm, respectively. The coagulation depths with mono- and bipolar TURP were 122.54+/-22.22 and 141.35+/-24.27 microm, respectively (p<0.01). The coagulation depths with mono- and bipolar TURP were significantly greater than the mean diameter of microvessels. However, the mean coagulation depth with monopolar TURP was smaller than the maximum diameter of microvessels, whereas the coagulation depth with bipolar TURP was bigger than that.
Conclusions: The coagulation depths with mono- and bipolar TURP were bigger than the mean diameter of prostatic microvessels. However, the mean coagulation depth with bipolar TURP was bigger than the maximum microvessel diameter, which indicates that the hemostatic capability of bipolar TURP may be better than that of monopolar TURP.