Efficacy of Qurmin on Post-Operative Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms After Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate: A Multicentre Case-Control Study

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of highly bioavailable curcumin complex on postoperative lower urinary symptoms in patients treated with photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) for lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic enlargement (LUTS/BPE) in a multicentre randomized controlled study. Materials and Methods: A consecutive series of patients with LUTS-BPE undergoing PVP were enrolled. Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to oral highly bioavailable curcumin complex (Qurmin®, Naturneed, Italy), twice a day for 10 days then once daily for 20 days postoperatively or no treatment. Clinical and demographic characteristics of all patients were collected. Patients were evaluated preoperatively, on day 1 (after catheter removal), on day 15 and on day 30 using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and Pain Urgency Frequency (PUF) questionnaires to assess the efficacy of the treatment. Results: Overall 106 patients were randomized to curcumin complex treatment (71/106:67%) or no treatment (35/106:33%). Preoperatively no significant differences in terms of age, PV, IPSS; Qmax, NIH-CPSI and PUF were recorded. Patients in both groups presented improvements in terms of IPSS, NIH-CPSI and PUF scores on day 15 and on day 30 when compared to day 1 (p<0,01). On day 15 patients on active treatment group presented a better improvement in terms of urinary symptoms (Δ15-1 IPSS score: 6,0 ± 7,6 vs 3,1 ± 4,6, p=0,001) and pain (Δ15-1 PUF pain : 1,7 ± 4,2 vs -0,8 ± 4,1, p=0,001). As well on day 30 patients on active treatment group presented a better improvement in terms of urinary symptoms (Δ30-1 IPSS score: 9,0 ± 7,6 vs 6,2 ± 6,4, p=0,001) and pain (Δ30-1 PUF pain: 3,3 ± 5,3 vs 1,6 ± 4,5, p=0,001). No significant differences in terms of NIH-CPS improvements were recorded between groups. No adverse events or side effects have been recorded in the treated group. Conclusions: Patients treated with highly bioavailable curcumin complex after PVP reported a significantly better improvement in symptoms and pain when compared to no treatment. Further studies should confirm our results.