Abstract
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to detail and discuss the results of the WATER study. This study compared the efficacy and safety of Aquablation to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for the treatment of male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Recent Findings
The WATER study compared Aquablation using the AquaBeam system to the current gold standard, TURP. It demonstrated that Aquablation was non-inferior to TURP when comparing the primary efficacy study endpoint of reduction in International Prostate Symptom Score at 6-month follow-up. Additionally, it proved superior for the primary safety endpoints at 3 and 6 months.
Summary
Aquablation has been shown to provide non-inferior symptom relief when compared with TURP. Additionally, it demonstrated a significantly superior safety profile and lower risk of sexual dysfunction. Ongoing trials including the Open WATER study and WATER 2 study are completing follow-up in 2019 with the promise of determining the safety and efficacy of Aquablation in larger prostates (80–150 g).
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Peter J. Gilling is an investigator for the WATER Trial.
Jordan A. Mann and Jared L. White declare that they have no potential conflicts of interest.
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on BPH-Related Voiding Dysfunction
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Mann, J.A., White, J.L. & Gilling, P.J. The WATER Study: a Review. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep 14, 98–101 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11884-019-00514-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11884-019-00514-x