MANAGEMENT OF BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA BY TRANSURETHRAL LASER-ABLATION IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH WARFARIN ANTICOAGULATION

Transurethral laser ablation of the prostate gland was used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia in 10 patients on warfarin anticoagulant therapy who had either significant clinical symptoms or who were in urinary retention. Anticoagulant therapy did not require alteration at any stage during treatment. All patients noticed improvements in symptom score assessments, flow rates and residual urine volumes following this procedure, and no significant complications were encountered. The hemostatic nature of neodymium:YAG laser energy as applied in this procedure appears to result in a technical improvement upon conventional transurethral resection for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients taking warfarin anticoagulant therapy.