Long-term efficacy of Aquablation for BPH not dictated by prostate volume

Aquablation therapy appears to be effective in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients experiencing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), with the favourable effects sustained over a 3-year follow-up while having few irreversible complications and low retreatment rates across all prostate volumes, according to a study.

The study examined 36-month outcomes in men aged 45–80 years with LUTS/BPH and with prostate volumes of 80–150 cc who underwent Aquablation in the WATER (n=116) and the WATER II (n=101) trials.

The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) scores improved from 22.9 at baseline to 8.0 at 36 months in WATER and from 23.2 to 6.5 in WATER II, with 3-year reductions of 14.4 and 16.3 points, respectively (p=0.247).

Urinary flow rate (Qmax) also improved in both cohorts: from 9.4 cc/sec at baseline to 20.6 cc/sec at 36 months in WATER and from 8.7 to 18.5 cc/sec in WATER II (p=0.552).

The improvements seen in both IPSS and Qmax were immediate and persisted throughout the study.

At 36 months, 98 percent of patients in WATER and 94 percent in WATER II were off BPH medications (p=0.038). Additionally, 96 percent and 97 percent of patients, respectively, were free from surgical retreatment (p=0.613).

Prostate volume did not influence the outcomes with Aquablation therapy.