Laparoscopic simple prostatectomy with prostatic urethra preservation for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objective: Laparoscopic simple prostatectomy for large volume benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been reported in the literature and may be a viable alternative to open surgery for large prostate glands. While previous publications have shown comparable outcomes between laparoscopic and open simple prostatectomy, there have been few publications describing improved laparoscopic operative technique to further improve these outcomes. The authors describe a novel technique of prostatic urethra preservation during laparoscopic simple prostatectomy. Materials and methods: From January 2006 to September 2009, laparoscopic simple prostatectomy with prostatic urethra preservation was performed in 51 patients with symptomatic BPH. This technique included extraperitoneal insufflation of the retropubic space by balloon dilation, placement of five trocars in an inverted U shape, transverse prostatic capsular incision, development of a subcapsular plane, and removal of prostatic adenoma with preservation of the prostatic urethra followed by suturing of the prostatic capsule. Demographic, perioperative and outcome data were recorded. Results: The mean operative time was 126 +/- 51.98 min and the estimated blood loss was 232.55 +/- 199.54 mL. Significant improvements were noted in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) questionnaires and maximum flow rate (Qmax) of patients three months after surgery. No incontinence was reported in any patient. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the 5-Item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score pre-and post-operatively in patients who had erectile function before surgery and no patient complained of retrograde ejaculation during the postoperative follow-up period. Conclusions: Laparoscopic simple prostatectomy with prostatic urethra preservation for benign prostatic hyperplasia is feasible and reproducible. With this technique, postoperative morbidity can be reduced and antegrade ejaculation preserved.