Zhu 2018.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: parallel randomized controlled study Dates when study was conducted: January to October 2016 Setting: single center Country:China
Participants	Inclusion criteria:men with: Comprehensive diagnosis of BPH through ultrasound prostate examination, digital rectal examination, IPSS, etc No absolute contraindication for surgery No previous history of surgery; not taking 5‐alpha reductase inhibitors Exclusion criteria: men with: Severe liver and kidney disorders, severe urethral strictures Prostate tumors, bladder neck stenosis, urinary infections and neurogenic bladder Severe heart and brain diseases, coagulopathy, systemic organ low functionality Total number of participants randomly assigned: 40 Group A (PAE) Number of all participants randomly assigned: 20 Age (years): 61.1 ± 4.4 Prostate volume (mL): 81.21 ± 6.34 PSA (ng/mL): 8.97 ± 3.04 IPSS: median 25.63 ± 4.28 Qmax (mL/s): 8.25 ± 2.36 Group B (Sham) Number of all participants randomly assigned: 20 Age (years): 62.4 ± 4.9 Prostate volume (mL): 82.09 ± 6.47 PSA (ng/mL): 8.95 ± 2.86 IPSS: median 26.22 ± 4.35 Qmax (mL/s): 8.47 ± 2.39
Interventions	Group A: PAE Group B: TURP (not defined) Follow‐up: 12 months
Outcomes	Urologic symptom scores How measured: IPSS Time points measured: at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months Time points reported: at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months Subgroups: none Quality of Life How measured: IPSS‐QoL Time points measured: at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months Time points reported: at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months Subgroups: none Acute urinary retention How measured: not reported Time points measured: within 12 months Time points reported: likely cumulative incidence. Subgroups: none Relevant outcomes not reported in this study Major and minor adverse events Ejaculatory dysfunction Erectile function Retreatment Indwelling urinary catheter
Funding sources	Not available
Declarations of interest	Not available
Notes	Protocol: not available Language of publication: Chinese
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Judgement: random number table method.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Judgement: not described.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) Subjective outcomes	High risk	Judgement: not described; blinding highly unlikely to have taken place.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Subjective outcomes	High risk	Judgement: not described; blinding highly unlikely to have taken place.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Objective outcomes	Low risk	Judgement: objective outcomes are likely not affected by lack of blinding.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Urologic symptom scores/Quality of life	Low risk	Judgement: all randomized participants were included in the analysis (short term).
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Acute urinary retention	Low risk	Judgement: all randomized participants were included in the analysis (short term).
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Judgement: study outcomes were well pre‐defined and described, but protocol was not found.
Other bias	Low risk	Judgement: not detected.

BPH: benign prostatic hyperplasia; ICS male IS‐SF: International Continence Society short‐form male questionnaire; IIEF‐15: International index of erectile function; IPSS: International Prostate Symptom Score; MSHQ‐EJD; Male sexual health questionnaire for ejaculatory dysfunction; NA: not available; NR: not reported; OAB‐q SF: Overactive bladder questionnaire short form; PGI‐I: Patient Global Impression of Improvement; PSA: prostate specific antigen; PUL: prostatic urethral lift; PVR: post‐void residual volume; Q_max: maximum flow rate; QoL: quality of life; SD: standard deviation; SF‐6D: Short‐Form Six‐Dimension; SF‐12: 12‐item Short‐Form Health Survey; TURP: transurethral resection of prostate; VAS: visual analogue scale.