Login to Access Video or Poster Abstract: MP13-07
Sources of Funding: None.

Introduction

Introduction: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease affecting men 50 years and older. Treatment options consist of observation, pharmacological treatment, minimally invasive surgery and traditional surgery. Alpha-blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are the primary medications used to treat BPH. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold standard of surgical management of BPH. We sought to evaluate the effect of six weeks of finasteride therapy before TURP on overall surgical outcomes and early postoperative quality of life (QoL).

Methods

Between June 2011 and August 2013, patients with BPH at the urology department, Minia University Hospital, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: those receiving 5 mg of Finasteride daily for six weeks (group A) and those not receiving finasteride (group B) before TURP. All patients were assessed using a modified validated Arabic version of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Intra operative serum hemoglobin concentration and hemoglobin concentration in irrigating fluid were recorded. On the first postoperative day, serum hemoglobin concentration, corrected by postoperative hematocrit values, was evaluated. One month post-surgery, IPSS, storage and voiding subscores and QoL scores were measured.

Results

We recruited 115 patients, of whom 98 completed the study. Before surgery, there was no significant difference between the two groups in prostate size, IPSS, maximum urinary flow rate, post-void residual urine test results or QoL scores. Group A patients had significantly less intraoperative blood loss than group B patients (p= 0.001). One month postoperatively, there was no significant difference in IPSS results or voiding and storage subscores between the two groups. However, group A patients showed greater improvement in QoL than group B patients (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

Short-term finasteride therapy for 6 weeks before TURP reduced intraoperative blood loss and improved quality of life in the early postoperative period.

Funding

None.