The pattern and progression of lower urinary tract symptoms after transurethral prostatectomy compared with those seen in the general population.

Abstract

Men undergoing transurethral prostatectomy (TURP) often have some level of residual symptoms after this operation. Reliance on symptom scores to assess outcomes means there is relatively little information on the exact pattern of such symptoms. The aim of this study was to describe the pattern, progression, and associated bother of lower urinary tract symptoms after TURP. Detailed information on urinary symptoms, prostatectomy status, and associated bother was obtained from a randomly selected sample of community-dwelling men by using a postal questionnaire. Rates of individual urinary symptoms in the postprostatectomy population were calculated, and compared with those in the background population and those in secondary care. Of 7640 men who responded, 422 had undergone prostatectomy. Symptom levels remained significantly higher in the postoperative group than the background population, with 19.4% experiencing four or more symptoms on a weekly basis. The pattern of symptoms was similar to that seen in the general population. Men in the post-TURP group experienced greater levels of bother when symptom level (odds ratio: 2.69; 95%CI, 1.80-4.01) was controlled. Both symptom and bother, however, were significantly lower than those in people referred for secondary care treatment of their symptoms. Men with a previous prostatectomy still report high levels of urinary symptoms and appear to experience greater levels of bother from these symptoms than men in the general population.