OBJECTIVES: To investigate the contribution of urodynamically proven presence or absence (International Continence Society classification) of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) to treatment recommendations for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and to investigate the impact of the replacement of the invasively estimated BOO classification with the noninvasively assessed BOO probability on treatment recommendations. METHODS: Mandatory tests, recommended tests, and pressure-flow studies (with BOO classification) were performed in 150 consecutive men with LUTS suggestive of BPH. Three experienced urologists proposed, independently of each other, the treatment for each patient: watchful waiting, pharmacologic treatment, or surgery. After repeat randomization of the patients and replacement of the BOO classification with the BOO probability, the procedure was repeated 1 month later. A third treatment proposal was done after repeat randomization and after replacement of the BOO probability with the BOO classification. RESULTS: The symptom score and quality-of-life score were the most decisive in the treatment recommendations, followed by the BOO probability and BOO classification. The medical history, physical status, and duration of the complaints did not significantly affect the treatment recommendations. The intraindividual agreement between the judgments that included the BOO classification and the judgments that included the BOO probability was comparable to the agreement between both judgments that included BOO classification. The interindividual agreement between the judgments that included the BOO classification was not significantly different from that of the judgments that included the BOO probability. CONCLUSIONS: The symptom score and quality-of-life score were the most decisive in the medical treatment recommendations, followed by the BOO probability and BOO classification. The noninvasively assessed BOO probability was as valuable as the invasively estimated BOO classification in the medical treatment recommendations.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the contribution of urodynamically proven presence or absence (International Continence Society classification) of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) to treatment recommendations for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and to investigate the impact of the replacement of the invasively estimated BOO classification with the noninvasively assessed BOO probability on treatment recommendations. METHODS: Mandatory tests, recommended tests, and pressure-flow studies (with BOO classification) were performed in 150 consecutive men with LUTS suggestive of BPH. Three experienced urologists proposed, independently of each other, the treatment for each patient: watchful waiting, pharmacologic treatment, or surgery. After repeat randomization of the patients and replacement of the BOO classification with the BOO probability, the procedure was repeated 1 month later. A third treatment proposal was done after repeat randomization and after replacement of the BOO probability with the BOO classification. RESULTS: The symptom score and quality-of-life score were the most decisive in the treatment recommendations, followed by the BOO probability and BOO classification. The medical history, physical status, and duration of the complaints did not significantly affect the treatment recommendations. The intraindividual agreement between the judgments that included the BOO classification and the judgments that included the BOO probability was comparable to the agreement between both judgments that included BOO classification. The interindividual agreement between the judgments that included the BOO classification was not significantly different from that of the judgments that included the BOO probability. CONCLUSIONS: The symptom score and quality-of-life score were the most decisive in the medical treatment recommendations, followed by the BOO probability and BOO classification. The noninvasively assessed BOO probability was as valuable as the invasively estimated BOO classification in the medical treatment recommendations.