Quality of life changes following KTP/Nd:YAG laser treatment of the prostate and TURP.

Abstract

To compare health-related quality of life (HRQL) changes in patients receiving hybrid KTP/Nd:YAG laser treatment of the prostate with TURP. Patients complaining of symptomatic benign prostatic enlargement were studied. Their symptoms (IPSS), disease-specific (BPH Impact Index (BPHII)) and generic HRQL (Short Form-36 (SF-36)) was evaluated before and at 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year following treatment. 204 patients were randomized into the study. Patients in both groups reported an improvement in IPSS and BPHII at each postoperative assessment, but there were significant differences between the two groups at the 6-week stage in favor of the TURP group. At 6 weeks, patients in the laser group reported significantly worse scores in the SF-36 domains of bodily pain, social function and role emotional when compared to the TURP group. These differences disappeared at both the 6-month and 1-year follow-up assessments. Although hybrid KTP/Nd:YAG laser treatment and TURP differed in the way they affected patients in the early postoperative period, at 1 year, patients reported similar improvements in symptoms and enjoyed a similar disease-specific and generic HRQL.