Laparoscopic Prostatectomy in Surgical Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Abstract

In a contrast to the trauma of open prostatectomy, an alternative treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is laparoscopic prostatectomy. It was implemented in the practical work of urologists as a minimally invasive alternative procedure to open prostatectomies (transvesical and pubic) in patients with large BPH. The objective: to consider technique and analysis of the results of laparoscopic extraperitoneal pubic (transcapsular) prostatectomy in patients with large BPH (more than 80 ml). Materials and methods. The early (inpatient) and long-term (after discharge from the hospital and up to two years of followup) results of laparoscopic extraperitoneal pubic (transcapsular) prostatectomy in 50 patients with BPH who were operated in Center for Plastic Reconstructive and Minimally Invasive Oncourology of the Cherkasy Regional Oncology Dispensary and the Urology Department of the Vinnytsia Regional Clinical Hospital named after M. I. Pirogov during 2021–2023 are presented. The average age of the patients was 68.2±2.4 years old, the average body mass index was 28.5±1.5, and the average volume of the prostate gland (PG) was 111.5±17.4 ml. Laparoscopic extraperitoneal pubic prostatectomy was performed by creating a pre-abdominal pubic space using a Space Marker balloon trocar. The incision of the PG capsule is transverse, hyperplastic parts of the bladder were removed with step-by-step hemostasis with an attempt to preserve the wall of the prostatic urethra, the anastomosis between the bladder neck and the bladder capsule was placed using a continuous V-Loc suture (2-0). Hyperplastic nodes of the PG were removed by morcellation. The urethral catheter was removed on the 5th day after surgery. The quality of urination before and after surgery was assessed using the International Symptom Questionnaire for PG diseases before and after surgery. Results. The average operation time was 120.3±11.7 min, the average intraoperative blood loss was 118.7±33.6 ml. In 10 (20%) patients the prostatic part of the ureter was saved. One patient had a stone removed from the urinary bladder by cystotomy, another patient had simultaneous pre-abdominal laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty with a mesh polypropylene implant for an oblique hernia. No intraoperative or postoperative bleeding was observed, no hemotransfusion was performed. The average postoperative bed-day was 6.1±1.1 days. In the postoperative period (up to two years), complications (ureteral and bladder neck strictures, bladder stones, urinary incontinence, infectious complications, etc.) were not registered. Conclusions. The obtained results of laparoscopic extraperitoneal pubic prostatectomy in patients with large BPH confirmed its reliable intra- and postoperative hemostasis, short postoperative bed-day, satisfactory recovery of the act of urination with a minimum number of complications. Further studies should be conducted to establish the benefits of performing laparoscopic extraperitoneal pubic prostatectomy in patients with BPH.