Background: The postoperative bleeding complications associated with laser surgery of the prostate and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) were compared.
Methods: We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to conduct an observational population-based cohort study. All eligible patients who received transurethral procedures between January 2015 and September 2018 were enrolled. Patients who received laser surgery or TURP were matched at a ratio of 1:1 by using propensity score matching, and the association of these procedures with bleeding events was evaluated.
Results: A total of 3302 patients who underwent elective transurethral procedures were included. The multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that diode laser enucleation of the prostate (DiLEP) resulted in significantly higher emergency room risks within 90 days after surgery due to clot retention than the Monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (M-TURP) (Hazard Ratio: 1.52; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.06-2.16, p = 0.022). Moreover, GreenLight photovaporization of the prostate (PVP) (0.61; 95% CI, 0.38-1.00 p = 0.050) and thulium laser vaporesection of the prostate (ThuVARP) (0.67; 95% CI, 0.47-0.95, p = 0.024) resulted in significantly fewer rehospitalization due to clot retention than did M-TURP. No significant increase in blood clots were observed in patients using comedications and those with different demographic characteristics and comorbidities.
Conclusions: Among the investigated six transurethral procedures for Benign prostatic hyperplasia, PVP and ThuVARP were safer than M-TURP because bleeding events and clot retention were less likely to occur, even in patients receiving anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. However, DiLEP and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) did not result in fewer bleeding events than M-TURP.
Keywords: benign prostatic obstruction; clot retention; laser surgery of the prostate; transurethral resection of the prostate.