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. 2022 Mar 29;2022(3):CD012867. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012867.pub3

Insausti 2020.

Study characteristics
Methods Study design: prospective randomized non‐inferiority clinical trial
Setting/country: single center/Spain
Dates when study was conducted: November 2014 and January 2017
Participants Inclusion criteria: men aged > 60 years; BPH‐related LUTS refractory to medical treatment for ≥ 6 months, or the patient could not tolerate medical treatment; TURP was indicated; IPSS ≥ 8; QoL related to LUTS ≥ 3; Qmax ≤ 10 mL/second or urinary retention
Exclusion criteria: men with advanced atherosclerosis and tortuosity of the iliac arteries, non‐visualization of the prostatic artery or other accessory arteries supplying the prostate on computed tomography angiography, urethral stenosis, detrusor failure or neurogenic bladder, glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/minute, and the presence of prostate cancer
Total number of participants randomly assigned: 61
Group A (PAE)
  • Number of all participants randomly assigned: 31

  • Age (years): 72.4 (SD 6.2)

  • Prostate volume (mL): 60.0 (SD 21.6)

  • PSA (ng/mL): 3.5 (SD 2.8)

  • IPSS: 25.8 (SD 4.64)

  • Qmax (mL/second): 7.7 (SD 2.0)


Group B (TURP)
  • Number of all participants randomly assigned: 30

  • Age (years): 71.8 (SD 5.5)

  • Prostate volume (mL): 62.8 (SD 23.8)

  • PSA (ng/mL): 4.4 (SD 8.7)

  • IPSS: 26.0 (SD 7.29)

  • Qmax (mL/second): 7.0 (SD 2.5)

Interventions Group A: PAE
Group B: bipolar TURP
Follow‐up: 12 months
Outcomes Primary outcomes
  • Qmax/IPSS


How measured: uroflowmetry/IPSS questionnaire
Time points measured: at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
Time points reported: at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
Secondary outcomes
  • QoL/prostate volume/PVR/IIEF‐5


How measured: IPSS questionnaire/transabdominal US/transabdominal US/IIEF‐5 questionnaire
Time points measured: at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
Time points reported: at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
  • PSA


How measured: blood test
Time points measured: at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months
Time points reported: at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months
Safety outcomes: adverse events
How measured: modified Clavien Classification System
Time points measured: at all follow‐up visits
Time points reported: likely cumulative incidence
Subgroup: none
Funding sources Biocompatibles UK Ltd
Declarations of interest Biocompatibles UK Ltd
Notes Protocol: NCT01963312
Language of publication: English
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Quote: "principal Investigator randomly selected a number from a table of random numbers".
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Quote: "the individual enrolling participants were unaware of the allocation of the next participants".
Judgment: the method was not described.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes High risk Quote: "there was no blinding of clinicians or patients due to the nature of the trial".
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Subjective outcomes High risk Quote: "there was no blinding of clinicians or patients due to the nature of the trial".
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Objective outcomes Low risk Judgment: objective outcomes likely not affected by lack of blinding.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Urologic symptom scores/QoL High risk Judgment: 23/31 (74.1%) participants randomized to PAE and 22/30 (73.3%) to TURP were included in the analysis (short term).
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Major/minor adverse events Low risk Judgment: all randomized participants were included in the analysis.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Retreatment Low risk Judgment: all randomized participants were included in the analysis.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Erectile function Low risk Judgment: all randomized participants were included in the analysis.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Ejaculatory disorders Low risk Judgment: all randomized participants were included in the analysis.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Acute urinary retention Low risk Judgment: all randomized participants were included in the analysis.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Indwelling urinary catheter Unclear risk Judgment: no information given (not measured).
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Hospital stay Unclear risk Judgment: 27/31 (87.0%) participants randomized to PAE and 27/30 (90.0%) to TURP were included in the analysis (short term).
Selective reporting (reporting bias) High risk Judgment: protocol was published, but study outcomes were not identical to the outcomes prespecified in the protocol.
Other bias Low risk Judgment: BPH medication was prescribed longer for the PAE group; however, it seemed this did not affect results 12 months after treatment.