Minimally invasive treatments for benign prostatic enlargement: systematic review of randomised controlled trials

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness and risk profile of minimally invasive interventions against the current standard of transurethral resection of the prostate. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: Electronic and paper records up to March 2006. REVIEW METHODS: We searched for all relevant randomised controlled trials. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed quality. Meta-analyses of prespecified outcomes were performed with fixed and random effects models and reported using relative risks or weighted mean difference. RESULTS: 3794 abstracts were identified; 22 randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. These provided data on 2434 participants. The studies evaluated were of moderate to poor quality with small sample sizes. Minimally invasive interventions were less effective than transurethral…