General anesthesia is associated with lower perioperative bleeding and better functional outcomes than spinal anesthesia for endoscopic enucleation of the prostate: a single-center experience

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and bipolar transurethral enucleation of the prostate (B-TUEP) are safe and effective treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Spinal anesthesia (SA) is widely used for endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP) in place of general anesthesia (GA). We aimed to assess the impact of GA vs. SA on blood loss, postoperative course and functional outcomes after HoLEP and B-TUEP.

After propensity score matching, we analyzed data from 148 patients treated with EEP in our centre for symptomatic BPH. We recorded patient’s characteristics, procedural data, type of anesthesia (SA vs. GA). Postoperatively we evaluated hemoglobin drop, catheterization time (CT), and length of hospital stay (LOS). Functional outcomes were evaluated with the International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) at baseline and 3 months after surgery. Descriptive statistics and linear regression models tested the association between anesthesia type and EEP outcomes.

After matching groups were comparable in terms of pre- and intra-operative variables. Of all, 111 (75%) patients were treated under SA. Haemoglobin drop was lower in GA compared to SA group (1 vs. 1.4 g/dL, p < 0.01). CT was shorter in the GA group (1 vs. 2 days, p = 0.01). Postoperative IPSS score was lower in GA group (4 vs. 8, p = 0.04). Multivariable linear regression models revealed that prostate volume (p = 0.01) and SA vs. GA (p = 0.01) were associated with higher haemoglobin drop, after accounting for age and use of anticoagulants/antiplatelets. Similarly, SA vs. GA (p = 0.02) and postoperative complications occurrence (p < 0.001) were associated with a longer LOS, after accounting for age, prostate volume and use of anticoagulants/antiplatelets.

EEP can be safely performed under both GA and SA. GA offers better outcomes in terms of perioperative bleeding and 3-month functional outcomes.