Is planned continuous irrigation indicated for haemorrhage following transurethral resection of the prostate?

A prospective audit was carried out of this unit's policy of non-irrigation following transurethral prostatectomy (TURP). Over an 11-month period 121 TURPs were performed. Only 29 patients required intervention to maintain bladder drainage post-operatively, 23 of these requiring bladder washout alone. In the remaining 6 patients catheter change and continuous irrigation were required. The weight of tissue resected was the only factor investigated which bore a significant relationship to the necessity for further intervention in bladder drainage post-operatively. Despite this, patients requiring continuous irrigation post-operatively could not be easily identified prior to or during surgery.