Three-year followup of patients treated with lower energy microwave thermotherapy.

Purpose: A retrospective study was done to investigate the long-term outcome of patients treated with lower energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy.

Materials And Methods: A total of 305 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hypertrophy underwent transurethral microwave thermotherapy according to a similar protocol at 2 centers.

Results: After 3 years of followup 133 patients who had undergone transurethral microwave thermotherapy alone were available for study. During this observation period significant symptomatic improvement from baseline and an improved maximum flow rate of 2.6 ml. per second were noted. Of the patients 125 underwent invasive or medical treatment.

Conclusions: After 3 years of followup lower energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy showed significant and durable improvements in baseline parameters in 52% of the patients.