Preoperative foley cath predicts TURP, TULIP failure in older men

(HealthDay)—Poor functional status and having a Foley catheter preoperatively are associated with the risk of failure of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or transurethral laser incision of the prostate (TULIP) for treatment of bladder outlet obstruction, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Anne M. Suskind, M.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study involving 2,869 male nursing home residents aged 65 years and older who underwent TURP or TULIP between 2005 and 2008. The authors examined changes in activities of daily living, Foley catheter status, and survival up to one year after surgery.

The researchers found that 61 percent of patients had a Foley catheter prior to the procedure. Of those with a Foley catheter at baseline, 64, 4, and 32 percent had a Foley catheter, had no Foley catheter, and had died by one year after the procedure, respectively. The risk of having a Foley catheter at one year was increased for individuals with a Foley catheter at baseline (risk ratio, 1.39) and for those with poor functional status (risk ratio, 1.34 for individuals in the worst quartile of function).

"Poor baseline functional status and having a Foley catheter preoperatively were associated with greater risk of TURP or TULIP failure, as measured by the presence of a Foley catheter at one year," the authors write.