Peter Iversen

Analysis of Presenting Symptoms in Prostatism

A prospective evaluation was done of 84 patients who were selected for transurethral prostatectomy based on the presenting symptoms and findings at cystoscopy. In addition, urodynamic studies were performed but the results were not made available to the urologist who selected the patients for surgery. Postoperative symptom analysis and repeat urodynamic examinations were done at 3 months in 68 patients and at 12 months in 50. There was no significant association between irritative symptoms and uninhibited detrusor contractions. Furthermore, no associations were identified between obstructive symptoms and infravesical obstruction as defined by urodynamic criteria. The study failed to identify a need for routine invasive urodynamic investigation of patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Value of postvoid residual urine determination in evaluation of prostatism

Forty-nine patients with prostatism selected for transurethral resection of the prostate underwent repetitive postvoid residual urine volume determination as part of their comprehensive evaluation. The wide variation of residual urine determinations in individual patients and the lack of correlation between residual urine and cystoscopic, urodynamic, and symptomatic parameters are discussed.

Significance of Prostatic Weight in Prostatism

In addition to routine evaluation, 68 patients with prostatism underwent blinded urodynamic testing prior to transurethral prostatectomy and were reexamined symptomatologically and urodynamically at 3 and 12 months after surgery to determine if prostatic weight could predict postoperative outcome. Resected prostatic weight correlated with estimated weight at cystoscopy and with obstructive symptoms, but not with urodynamic variables of infravesical obstruction. Patients with small prostates improved symptomatologically to the same degree as patients with larger glands, although they did not improve to the same degree urodynamically. Prostatic weight, therefore, could not be used to predict the outcome of transurethral surgery.

The Relevance of Minimum Urethral Resistance in Prostatism

To determine whether the minimum urethral resistance was useful to identify bladder outlet obstruction in prostatectomy candidates, 46 patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate were evaluated by means of detailed symptom analysis, cystoscopy, rectal examination and post-void residual urine determination. In addition, each patient underwent extensive urodynamic testing, the results of which were not made available to the operating urologist as patients were selected for surgery. This prospective, blind evaluation has been completed in 33 and 15 patients 3 and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. A correlation is noted between the minimum urethral resistance, and symptomatology and uroflowmetry but no correlation was identified with prostatic length and the resected prostatic weight. The minimum urethral resistance was not useful in predicting which patients would benefit from transurethral resection of the prostate. It is concluded that symptom analysis generally is a better predictor of the outcome of transurethral resection of the prostate than is minimum urethral resistance.

The Significance of Uninhibited Detrusor Contractions in Prostatism

In an attempt to identify preoperatively patients who will not benefit from prostatectomy, 84 patients with prostatism about to undergo transurethral resection of the prostate were evaluated prospectively with preoperative and postoperative symptom analysis and urodynamic examination, including cystometrograms. Of the patients 67 were followed at 3 months and 54 again at 12 months. Preoperatively, 65 per cent of the patients had uninhibited detrusor contractions, while 38 had persistent postoperative uninhibited detrusor contractions at 3 months. Patients in whom uninhibited detrusor contractions persisted postoperatively more often had unacceptable postoperative symptoms. Of the patients 13 per cent believed the symptoms to be the same or worse at 3 and 12 months. The incidence of uninhibited detrusor contractions in these patients was 57 and 71 per cent, respectively. While this finding suggests that persistent postoperative uninhibited detrusor contractions are associated with an unfavorable surgical outcome, we could not predict which patients would have uninhibited detrusor contractions following prostatectomy by use of preoperative cystometric findings together with detailed symptom analysis. Thus, we failed to define a role for preoperative cystometric screening of patients with prostatism.

Transurethral prostatic resection in the treatment of prostatism with high urinary flow.

There were 51 patients with prostatism who were selected for transurethral resection of the prostate using clinical nonurodynamic criteria. Urodynamic evaluation revealed that 13 patients had preoperative maximum urine flow rates greater than 15 ml. per second. The favorable postoperative outcome in clinical and urodynamic terms in this group of patients with high preoperative urine flow is discussed.

Predictive value of low maximum flow rate in benign prostatic hyperplasia

Among 84 patients with prostatism selected for transurethral resection of the prostate, 18 had a maximum flow at spontaneous uroflowmetry less than or equal to 7 ml/sec. Preoperatively there was no significant difference between patients with maximum flow less than or equal to 7 ml/sec (Group 1) and patients with maximum flow greater than 7 ml/sec (Group 2) in age, duration of symptoms, symptom scores, bladder volume, residual urine, and detrusor pressure at maximum flow. Patients in Group 1, however, had significantly lower urethral resistance and bladder volume independent maximum flow than patients in Group 2. Postoperatively, patients with preoperative maximum flow less than or equal to 7 ml/sec improved significantly in symptom scores and urodynamic findings apart from bladder volume and detrusor pressure at maximum flow. There were no significant differences between groups in postoperative symptom scores or urodynamic findings. We conclude that preoperative maximum flow rates less than or equal to 7 ml/sec at spontaneous uroflowmetry were related to high urethral resistance and not detrusor decompensation among patients with prostatism, and that patients with maximum flow rates less than or equal to 7 ml/sec fared as well postoperatively as patients with maximum flow greater than 7 ml/sec.

Modified J nephrostomy catheter for intravesical pressure measurement in urodynamics

The influence of a transurethrally inserted 8.3-F modified J-nephrostomy catheter on urinary flow rate was investigated by both spontaneous uroflowmetry and pressure flow study in patients with almost identical bladder volumes. No statistically significant differences were found between maximum and mean flow rates obtained by spontaneous uroflowmetry and pressure flow study, respectively. Consequently, transurethral catheter placement is recommended in routine urodynamics.