A new method for treating prostatic hypertrophy.

Since 1969, when I did the first transurethral prostatic incision on a 51-year old man with bladder neck obstruction, 245 patients have undergone this procedure; 220 have been followed for 3 months to 8 years. Almost one-half of these patients were between 70 and 90 years old. Comparison of the first 220 patients who had transurethral incision with 220 patients who had transurethral prostatic resection showed that only two who underwent incision required subsequent resection, while 8 patients in the resection group had to have repeat resection. Contracture of the bladder neck and urinary incontinence did not occur with transurethral incision, and the incidence of epididymo-orchitis and stricture is lower with this method than with resection.