Short-term postoperative recovery for patients after Thulium Laser Vapoenucleation of Prostate: evaluation of the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on quality of life.

Purpose: We evaluated short-term postoperative recovery in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), especially focusing on symptoms reduction and life quality enhancement.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 160 BPH patients who underwent surgery and were followed up regularly for 12 weeks, collecting the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Quality of Life (QoL), and Qmax. Regression analysis and mixed effect models were used to evaluate the tendency of symptoms on recovery from the perspective of quality of life.

Results: At 12 weeks, all patients recovered well with conspicuous change in IPSS, QoL and Qmax, that were 4.80 ± 4.59, 1.34 ± 1.14,20.02 ± 8.61 mL/s respectively. Voiding symptoms were significantly reduced by 79.4% at 2 weeks, whereas storage symptoms recovered slowly until 12 weeks with residual lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), predominantly urinary frequency and nocturia. Improvements in incomplete emptying urination and urinary frequency were significantly associated with QoL.

Conclusions: With regards to the comprehensive full-cycle treatment of LUTS patients, in addition to the objective results, more attention should also be focused on the change in following symptoms, that is, incomplete emptying urination, urine frequency and urination difficulty, which play key roles in the enhancement of patients' quality of life.