Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate in Men With Refractory Urinary Retention.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) and the predictive factors of treatment failure in patients with refractory urinary retention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2006 to December 2013, we prospectively included all patients treated by PVP preoperatively catheterized for urinary retention. The primary end point was the number of patients free of indwelling catheters 3 months after the procedure. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the predictive factors of treatment failure.

RESULTS: One hundred fifty-two patients were included in the final analysis. The percentage of patients free of indwelling catheters was 91.5% 3 months after PVP. Two factors were identified as predictive of treatment failure at 3 months in multivariate analysis: a smaller preoperative ultrasonographic prostate volume (UPV; odds ratio [OR] = 0.91; P = .008) and a higher volume of primary urinary retention (OR = 1.03; P = .003). Forty-two patients (27.6%) required early recatheterization within 7 days after surgery. Smaller UPV was the only predictive factor of treatment failure in the early postoperative in multivariate analysis (OR = 0.97; P = .01).

CONCLUSION: Nearly one-third of patients treated for refractory urinary retention fail the first trial without catheter after PVP, but 91.5% are free of indwelling catheter 3 months after surgery. A smaller preoperative UPV and a higher retention volume were predictive of PVP failure in patients with preoperative indwelling catheters.