LAUSR

In this month's issue of European Urology, Magistro et al [1] report on the latest literature in a narrative review of emerging minimally invasive treatment (MIT) options for male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). They discuss four different novel techniques for the management of male LUTS, namely, intraprostatic injectables, mechanical devices including prostatic urethral lift (PUL), prostatic artery embolisation (PAE), and new techniques for tissue ablation. Many readers are likely to have heard about, but not performed, these novel techniques, and thus this article provides a timely update on a rapidly advancing field. The literature on male LUTS is littered with new and hopeful techniques that promise much but often fail to embed themselves into day-to-day urological practice. Transurethral microwave therapy, needle ablation, and prostatic stents, while all recommended by the European Association of Urology guidelines, have been consigned largely to the history books, and so the question remains: Will these new techniques described stand the test of time? Of these, the evidence base is greatest for PUL—more commonly known as the Urolift, which has acquired regulatory approval for use in several countries including the USA, Australia, and many countries in Europe. Data from a number of randomised controlled trials have demonstrated that the technique is able to significantly improve male LUTS. In comparison with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), Urolift would appear inferior in terms of improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Qmax, and reduction in postvoid residual—arguably the most important outcomes required for men with LUTS [2]. On the contrary, Urolift can be a day-case procedure