Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia causing complete urinary retention through local transurethral hyperthermia.

A new technique is described for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with local hyperthermia applied transurethrally by an electromagnetic wave generator. A series of 72 treatment sessions given to 16 patients sustaining an indwelling catheter is reported. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 10 patients who received 60 treatment sessions (six 60-min sessions each with 43 degrees C during 3 weeks). In group 2 there were 6 patients who received a total of 12 treatment sessions (two 120-min sessions each with a temperature of up to 44.5 degrees C for 1 week). Five of the 10 patients from group 1 (50%) and 4 of 6 patients from group 2 (67%) were relieved of the catheter and have been able to void satisfactorily during the 7- to 14-month (mean 10.1 +/- 2.8) follow-up period. The overall success rate in this series of 16 patients was 56.3%.