This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Aquablation in improving lower urinary tract symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted on clinical trials from the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to August 2021. Excluded materials included unpublished works, case reports, conference proceedings, editorial comments, and letters. The risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool. Data on pre- versus post-International Prostate Symptom Scores, maximum flow rate, and male sexual health questionnaire value changes were meta-analyzed using an inverse-variance weighted random effects model.
Results: Seven studies (total of 551 patients) were included. The International Prostate Symptom Scores improved significantly by a raw mean difference of -16.475 at 3 months, with improvements sustained for 12 months. The maximum flow rate increased by +1.96 from pre- to 3 months postoperatively. The change in the male sexual health questionnaire had a pooled effect size of -0.55 at 3 months, indicating relatively preserved sexual function. However, some outcomes showed large statistical heterogeneity or evidence of publication bias.
Conclusions: Aquablation appears to improve lower urinary tract symptoms in men with BPH while maintaining relatively preserved sexual function. Further research is needed to confirm these preliminary results.
