Does Surgical Treatment for Benign Prostate Enlargement (BPE)-Related Bladder Outlet Obstruction (BOO) Benefit Patients with Central Nervous System Diseases? A Systematic Review
Authors: Charalampous Ioannis , Tsikopoulos Ioannis , Mitkani Calypso , Samarinas Michael , Yuan Yuhong , Vouros Ioannis , Tsafrakidis Petros , Anastasios Anastasiadis , Gkotsi Anastasia , Sakalis Vasileios 
Published: September 2024

Background/Objectives: Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) resulting from benign prostate enlargement (BPE) is a common cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men. Patients with central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), Parkinson’s disease (PD), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and multiple systemic atrophy (MSA), commonly experience lower urinary tract dysfunction. Men who suffer from CNS diseases may also experience symptoms related to BPE and BOO, which pose an additional burden to their overall clinical status and result in the need for catheter use and a deterioration in quality of life. The aim of this study was to identify if prostate surgery will benefit men with CNS diseases who have been diagnosed with BPE-related BOO. Methods: The systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane systematic reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from 1946 up to July 2023 for peer-reviewed publications addressing the primary outcome (success rate) and the secondary outcomes (postoperative changes in incontinence episodes, urodynamic parameters, questionnaire scores, and quality of life). In addition, the perioperative outcomes (adverse events and the need for further medical or surgical therapy) were reported. Results: A total of 1572 abstracts were screened, and 13 studies involving 1144 patients were eligible for inclusion. Six studies assessed the effect of prostate surgery for BPE-related BOO in SCI, four studies in CVA, two studies in PD, and one study in the MSA population. All studies were considered to have a high risk of bias. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was the most common de-obstruction procedure, followed by prostatic artery embolism and open prostatectomy. The overall pooled success rate was calculated as 81.4% (65–100%) in SCI, 27.1% (9–70%) in PD, and 66.7% (50–79%) in CVA populations. The risk of de novo incontinence was 24.7–50% in SCI, 20% in PD, 21–50% in CVA, and 60% in MSA population. In patients with SCI with BPE-related BOO, prostate surgery improved mean bladder compliance and detrusor filling pressure and resolved detrusor overactivity in up to 50% of patients. Improvement of free flow rate, voided volume, and post-void residual was observed in all patients. Patients with CVA had an increased risk of perioperative mortality compared to non-CVA patients, and the risk of postoperative complications was inversely proportional to the timing of the CVA insult since surgery. Conclusions: This systematic review provides an overview of the available evidence on the outcome of prostate surgery in patients with neurologic diseases and BPE-related BOO. Identifying the optimal practice was challenging due to the limited availability of high-quality studies and the high variability of the reported outcomes. Properly selected patients with neurological diseases may benefit from prostate surgery, provided that preoperative investigations indicate BPE-related BOO.