Operative Risk in Patients with Prostatic Hyperplasia

Abstract

In a material of 399 patients with prostatic hyperplasia, an evaluation of the operative risk on the basis of the patient's condition revealed that, after prostatectomy, patients in better condition recovered an average of 2 days earlier than patients in poorer condition. No distinct difference was seen in the incidence of complications, however.

Even patients in very poor condition were operated on safely. In the group of 69 operated patients in the poorest health, the operative mortality rate was 3% compared with a mortality rate of 55% for the same group during the average follow-up period of 3 years, 4 months. The mortality rate for 29 patients, for whom surgery had been regarded as contra-indicated, was 69% during the follow-up period of 3 years, 9 months.

The prostatectomised patients above the age of 70 took an average of 2 days longer to recover than the younger patients. The operative mortality (1%) was similar in both age classes. An intra-operative blood loss of 2 500 ml or more distinctly provoked complications. Epididymitis seemed to be a more frequent complication among patients under 70 than among the older ones. Urinary infection and total retention on admission had no effect on the average recovery time after prostatectomy.