Economy in transurethral prostatectomy

Abstract

The economy in transurethral (TURP) versus transvesical (TVP) prostatectomy was evaluated in a prospective randomized study. Forty-three patients were allocated to TURP and 32 to TVP. All patients had clinically benign, medium-sized prostatic hyperplasia. Median postoperative ward time was 15 1/2 days following TVP, compared with 7 days following TURP. Statistically significant differences between the two groups in favour of TURP were also seen in the duration of anaesthesia for prostatectomy, in the amount of antibiotics and i.v. infusions used, as well as in number of postoperative outpatients visits. No difference was observed in number of patients readmitted to hospital within 6 months due to sequelae of the prostatectomy. Postoperative sick-leave was 4 weeks following TVP, compared with 2 weeks for TURP patients. However, in the present study the patients' own expenses related to the operation were small and revealed minor differences in favour of TURP. It is stressed that increasing application of TURP in medium-sized prostatic hyperplasia may imply a substantial reduction in the waiting lists as well as an estimated retrenchment for the Danish community of US $3400 (34000 D.kr.) per patient or at least $4.5 million (45 million D.kr.) per year.