Efficacy of solifenacin in the prevention of short-term complications after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of solifenacin in the prevention of short-term complications after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). METHODS: This randomized placebo-controlled study enrolled patients with histologically proven prostate cancer who underwent LRP. The patients were randomized to receive either solifenacin (5 mg once daily; study group) or placebo (control group) for the 15-day period beginning on the first day after surgery. The mean duration of detrusor overactivity (DO), the frequency of DO, the duration of macroscopic haematuria, and the days before catheter removal were recorded. The International Continence Society Short Form Male questionnaire, bladder neck stenosis episodes, and maximum urinary flow rate were evaluated at 1 month after surgery. The side-effects after using solifenacin were also recorded. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients were randomly assigned to the study group (n = 62) or the control group (n = 58). There were significantly lower rates of DO episodes during the daytime and night-time, haematuria and transient incontinence in the study group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Solifenacin was a well-tolerated and effective treatment for the prevention of complications after LRP, with the main advantage compared with placebo being the decreased frequency of DO episodes during the daytime and night-time.