Current trends in minimally invasive surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Abstract

The prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is rising with Korea becoming an aging society. As patients age, their comorbidities and the risks associated with anesthesia increase. Recently, there has been an increasing concern regarding sexual function after surgery. As a result, interest in minimally invasive surgery for BPH that does not require anesthesia or affect sexual function has grown. This review article introduces newly developed minimally invasive surgeries for BPH divided into four categories based on the strategy—mechanical, anatomical, atrophic, and laparoscopic. Here, the mechanisms for each surgical method have been introduced. Furthermore, recent representative studies of these procedures with a focus on randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have also been reviewed. Side effects related to sexual function have also been mentioned briefly along with the efficacy and indication for robotic BPH surgery, which has recently been attracting attention. However, these newer, minimally invasive procedures require additional comparative randomized controlled trials and long-term results to produce more robust evidence for their use.