To evaluate and minimize the duration of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) required after interstitial laser coagulation of the prostate in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Patients who did not show sufficient improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms or voiding dysfunctions with alpha-1 adrenergic blockers, and who agreed to undergo interstitial laser coagulation of the prostate, were enrolled in this study. Postoperatively, the indwelling Foley catheters were removed by the next morning. Patients were then required to undertake CIC with alpha-1 adrenergic blockade therapy until the postvoid residual urine volume decreased to less than 100 mL.

Seventy-nine patients underwent interstitial laser coagulation of the prostate, and 70 underwent catheter-free trials by postoperative day 1. The mean age and preoperative prostate volume of these 70 patients was 70.3 years (SD 8.7) and 49.6 cm³ (SD 34.8), respectively. Forty-three patients experienced postoperative urinary retention, and 37 of these underwent CIC. The median postoperative catheterization time was 3 days (range 0 to 31), and all patients eventually became catheter free. Univariate analysis showed that postoperative urinary retention was associated with a preoperative prostate volume of 30 cm³ or larger, a maximal flow rate of less than 6 mL/s, and a postvoid residual urine volume of 100 mL or greater. Multivariate analysis showed that a preoperative prostate volume of 30 cm³ or larger was the most significant predictor of postoperative urinary retention.

More than 60% of the patients experienced urinary retention after interstitial laser coagulation of the prostate. However, the results of the present study suggested that CIC and alpha-1 adrenergic blockade therapy could manage post-treatment urinary retention with a relatively short catheterization time.