The quality of life of patients on a waiting list for transurethral resection of the prostate.

We evaluated the quality of life of 50 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy on a waiting list for transurethral resection of the prostate. The patients had a median age of 68 years (range: 48-84 years) and had been on the waiting list for a median of eight months (range: 2-36 months). Patients were assessed using the Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Health-Related Quality of Life Survey Questionnaire. All patients had disagreeable urinary symptoms that interfered with their normal activities, for example, 92% of patients were troubled by disturbed sleep. The patients also had worries about the possibility of prostatic cancer (40%) and a perceived deterioration in sexual performance during the preceding year (56%). Eleven of the 14 patients who were re-evaluated one year after a transurethral resection of the prostate were completely free of any bothersome urinary symptoms.