Achieving both relief of urinary obstruction and preservation of ejaculatory function is a key goal of modern surgical management for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, standardized definitions of success that integrate multiple clinical domains remain limited. This study introduces a composite definition of clinical success and explores its predictors using a multicenter dataset of minimally invasive, ejaculation-preserving procedures.
Multi-institutional data were combined, including patients who underwent urethral-sparing robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (usRASP; n = 94), Aquablation (n = 95), or Rezum (n = 308). Complete clinical success (CSS) was defined as: (1) ⩾30% International Prostatic Symptoms Score (IPSS) reduction at 12-months; (2) preserved ejaculation, based on a positive response to the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EjD Q3); and (3) absence of ⩾Grade III Clavien-Dindo complications. Partial clinical success (PCS) was defined as the achievement of any two of the three criteria. A multivariable logistic regression analysis identified independent predictors of CCS.
The final cohort included 497 patients. CCS rates were 66.0% (usRASP), 73.6% (Aquablation), and 68.8% (Rezum); PCS rates were 28.7%, 14.7%, and 20.1%, respectively. No significant differences were observed among groups for IPSS (p = 0.455), ejaculation rates (p = 0.07), or complication rates (p = 0.445). On multivariable analysis, prostate volume < 110 mL (OR 0.52; p = 0.034), higher MSHQ-EjD Q3 (OR 1.07; p < 0.001), and shorter catheterization time (OR 0.91; p = 0.02) independently predicted CCS at 1 year.
This composite endpoint offers a pragmatic and clinically relevant framework for evaluating success in minimally invasive BPH surgery. Its adoption may enhance cross-technique comparisons and inform individualized treatment strategies.
Urologia. 2026 Jun 16 [Epub ahead of print]
Umberto Anceschi, Daniele Amparore, Antonio Minore, Antonio Tufano, Luca Ferrando, Michele Ortenzi, Enrico Checcucci, Giampaolo Siena, Andrea Cocci, Rocco Simone Flammia, Francesco Prata, Salvatore Basile, Sabrina De Cillis, Riccardo Mastroianni, Aldo Brassetti, Maria Consiglia Ferriero, Alfredo Maria Bove, Gabriele Tuderti, Giovanni Ferrari, Francesco Varvello, Vito Pansadoro, Andrea Minervini, Cristian Fiori, Francesco Porpiglia, Luca Cindolo, Giuseppe Simone
Department of Urology, IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy., Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Candiolo Cancer Institute FPO-IRCCS, Turin, Italy., Department of Urology, Fondazione Policlinico Campus Bio Medico Di Roma, Rome, Italy., Department of Urology, San Carlo Di Nancy Hospital GVM Care and Research, Rome, Italy., Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga, Orbassano, Italy., AOU Careggi, Department of Urology and Andrology, University of Florence, Italy., Department of Urology, Hesperia Hospital and CURE Group, Modena, Italy., Department of Urology, Michele e Pietro Ferrero Hospital, Alba-Bra, Italy., Department of Minimally Invasive Robotic Urology, Fondazione Vincenzo Pansadoro, Rome, Italy., Department of Urology, Villa Stuart Private Hospital, Rome, Italy.