The American Urological Association Symptom Index: early postoperative evaluation of irritative and obstructive symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

In order to evaluate the acute effects of two different treatments on changes in the American Urological Association symptom score, we divided 23 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 16) and group 2 (n = 7) were treated with transurethral resection of the prostate and visual laser ablation of the prostate, respectively. Twice before and about 1 week after surgery, patients completed the AUA symptom questionnaire and underwent urodynamic evaluation. The symptom indexes were subcategorized as obstructive and irritative symptoms. All symptom scores were identical in groups 1 and 2 preoperatively. Postoperatively, significant improvement was found in obstructive scores, the total score, maximum and average flow rates only in group 1. This outcome is probably the reflection of an essential dissmilarity in both therapies. Clinically, the obstructive subscore appears reactive to changes in obstruction and seems meaningful in follow-up even in the early postoperative days.