Early and late complications of TURP
Article published in Urologia Polska 2006/59/1.

authors

Imre Romics: Department of Urology
Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

keywords

transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), complications

summary

In this article based on review of literature and own experience of the author the most frequent early and late complications of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and their incidence are presented. Moreover, the paper contains some prophylactic measures to avoid or prevent complications.

TURP is one of the most often procedures performed in urology. However it is not free of the complication risk. Intraoperative and early postoperative bleeding is one of the most frequent complications. It can be minimalized with proper technique of resection and use of modern equipment with coagulating-intermittent-cutting. Administration of finasteride for several months before TURP may cause lower bleeding during the procedure. TUR-syndrome, being the result of intravenous flow of irrigation with subsequent dilutional hyponatremia is the most serious intraoperative complication. Fortunately, in recent years it occurs in small proportion of the patients. It can be prevented with low intravesical pressure resection and with use of isoosmotic irrigation fluids.

Urethral stricture located mainly in bulbar urethra is one of the most frequent late complications. The risk of postoperative stricture can be lowered by prophylactic urethrotomy. Urine incontinence occurs very rarely, however it is terrible for the patient. One way to avoid the damage to the external urethral sphincter is to perform TURP with care in distal part of prostatic adenoma.

references

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correspondence