Urology Research: Analyzing Surgical Treatments for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

The following real-world data analysis of the American Urological Association AUA Quality Registry (AQUA) was featured in April 2021 by the AUA Science & Quality Council. More real-world urologic research leveraging the AQUA network of more than 2,000 healthcare providers, nearly 10 million patients, and 8 years of longitudinal data can be found here. 

AQUA Registry Snapshot: How Has the Utilization of Various Surgical Treatments for BPH Changed?

By: Daniel Lee, MD, MS, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia 

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a pervasive problem, as the majority of men will suffer from some type of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to BPH between the ages of 45 and 80 years. In this context, multiple surgical devices have been approved within the last decade for the management of BPH.

Using the AUA Quality (AQUA) Registry database, Verana Health evaluated temporal changes in the utilization of the various surgical procedures for the management of BPH across 204 practices from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2020 (figure). Surgical procedures included HoLEP, laser vaporization (ie Greenlight), Rezum, simple prostatectomy, TURP (including bipolar) and Urolift.

Figure. Average monthly procedures per practice by surgical procedure.

Key Findings

• BPH-related surgical procedures peaked at an average of 22.3 procedures per month per practice in December 2019. This monthly average increased almost 100% from the low point observed in 2016 (11.5 procedures per month per practice).
• Urolift procedures peaked at an average of 12.6 procedures per month per practice during the study period in November 2019, representing 63.5% of the overall BPH-related procedures per month during this time frame.
• Rezum procedures peaked at an average of 8.9 procedures per month per practice during the study period in July 2019, accounting for 47.4% of the overall BPH-related procedures per month during this time frame.
• The steep decline in total procedures for BPH in 2020 was related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Verana Health is the data and technology partner for the AQUA Registry. Verana Health’s analyses of AQUA Registry data provide insights into contemporary urologic practice patterns. Verana Health partners with leading medical associations to transform clinical data into actionable real-world evidence. These partnerships enable Verana Health to harness the comprehensive data found in qualified clinical data registries and other specialty data sources to accelerate medical research and enhance patient care. Learn more at veranahealth.com.