Suprapubic cystostomy versus nonsuprapubic cystostomy during monopolar transurethral resection of prostate: a propensity score-matched analysis

We aim to reassess the safety of the monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (M-TURP) without suprapubic cystostomy at our institution over the past decade. This retrospective study was conducted in patients who underwent M-TURP at Peking University First Hospital between 2003 and 2013. A total of 1680 patients who had undergone M-TURP were identified, including 539 patients in the noncystostomy group and 1141 patients in the cystostomy group. After propensity score matching, the number of patients in each group was 456. Smaller reductions in hemoglobin and hematocrit (10.9 g vs 17.6 g and 3.6% vs 4.7%, respectively) were found in the noncystostomy group. In addition, patients undergoing surgery without cystostomy had their catheters removed earlier (4.6 days vs 5.2 days), required shorter postoperative stays in the hospital (5.1 days vs 6.0 days), and were at lower risk of operative complications (5.7% vs 9.2%), especially bleeding requiring blood transfusion (2.9% vs 6.1%). Similar findings were observed in cohorts of prostates of 30–80 ml and prostates >80 ml. Furthermore, among patients with a resection weight >42.5 g or surgical time >90 min, or even propensity-matched patients based on surgical time, those with cystostomy seemed to be at a higher risk of operative complications. These results suggest that M-TURP without suprapubic cystostomy is a safe and effective method, even among patients with larger prostates, heavier estimated resection weights, and longer surgical times.