[Efficacy of Rezūm water vapor thermal therapy system in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in high-risk elderly patients].

This retrospective study collected the clinical data of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with Rezūm water vapor thermal therapy system between July 2022 and August 2024 in the Department of Urology at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. All patients were over 80 years old with comorbid high-risk diseases. The international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, maximum urinary flow rate (Q_max), and post-void residual urine volume (PVR) were recorded and compared preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 and 6 months. A total of 34 patients were included, with a mean age of (85.4±5.1) years. All patients had at least two chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Among them, 10 patients required long-term anticoagulation with aspirin and (or) clopidogrel. The differences in IPSS[(13.5±3.2) scores vs (12.6±2.2) scores], QOL score[(2.3±0.6) scores vs (2.2±0.7) scores], Q_max[(14.7±1.8) ml/s vs (15.0±1.2) ml/s], and PVR[50.0(19.0, 81.0) ml vs 45.2(17.5, 63.5) ml] at both 3 and 6 months postoperatively were not statistically significant (all <i>P</i>>0.05). However, statistically significant differences were observed when compared with the preoperative data (all <i>P</i><0.05). The results suggest that the Rezūm water vapor thermal therapy is safe and feasible for elderly, high-risk patients with BPH, improving lower urinary tract obstruction symptoms with good short-term efficacy.