Search trends in the treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia: A twenty-year analysis

Abstract

Objective: Minimally invasive treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have seen an increase in usage in recent years. We aimed to determine what types of events may influence patient search habits related to surgical BPH treatments.

Methods: Google Trends was used to determine the frequency of searches for different minimally invasive and prostatic ablative treatments for BPH in the United States. The procedures including transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), Aquablation therapy (Aquablation), Greenlight laser therapy (Greenlight), transurethral needle ablation, transurethral microwave thermotherapy, Urolift (prostatic urethral lift [PUL]), Rezum, iTind, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, simple prostatectomy, and prostatic artery embolization were compared.

Results: From January 1, 2004 to February 28, 2023, the number of internet search queries have increased for TURP, PUL, Rezum, prostatic artery embolization, and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. There has been a slight decrease in searches for Greenlight, transurethral needle ablation, transurethral microwave thermotherapy, iTind, simple prostatectomy, and Aquablation.

Conclusion: Despite increased searches of alternatives, TURP remains the most searched BPH procedure. Additionally, search habits may be influenced by several factors including government approval, corporate acquisition, and marketing campaigns. It is important for physicians to understand the types of events that may cause patients to inquire about certain treatments for better quality health information and clinical visits.

Keywords: Benign prostate hyperplasia; Google Trends; Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate; Minimally invasive treatment; Prostatic urethral lift; Transurethral resection of the prostate.

Figure 1

Scaled searches over time for each treatment modality investigated (between January 1, 2004 and February 28, 2023). TURP, transurethral resection of the prostate; Urolift, temporary implantable nitinol device; HoLEP, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate; SP, simple prostatectomy; PAE, prostatic artery embolization; TUNA, transurethral needle ablation of the prostate; TUMT, transurethral microwave thermotherapy Greenlight, Greenlight laser therapy; PUL, prostatic urethral lift; iTind, temporary implantable nitinol device; Aquablation, Aquablation therapy.