Title:Drugs or Mechanical Devices for Obstructive LUTS?
Volume: 21
Issue: 15
Author(s): Evangelos N. Symeonidis and Petros Sountoulides*
Affiliation:
- 1st Department of Urology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, “G. Gennimatas” General Hospital, Thessaloniki,Greece
Keywords:
LUTS, drugs, pharmacotherapy, minimally invasive therapies, mechanical devices, benign prostate obstruction,
BPH.
Abstract: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostate obstruction (BPO) afflict
a very large part of the population on a global scale. Urologists confront patients with a diversity
of BPH-related symptoms in their daily practice. For years, the cornerstone of obstructive BPH treatment
consisted of mostly medical and to a lesser extent surgical therapies. However, while medical
treatment has come to a standstill, over the last decade, new minimally invasive surgical therapies
(MISTs) have emerged, conferring several possible advantages over conventional transurethral resection
of the prostate (TURP). MISTs have also demonstrated the ability to better respect and preserve
sexual function while providing safety and minimal morbidity. Their long-term efficacy and durability
over drug therapy remain debatable, as is the need for secondary procedures. In the present paper, we
aim to offer a narrative summary of the available literature, thus providing an indirect comparative assessment
of drugs and MISTs for obstructive LUTS.