New guidance has been released by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommending Olympus Medical’s transurethral resection in saline (TURis) system for use in surgery to reduce the size of enlarged prostate glands in men. NICE published the guidance in light of the potential it offers NHS hospitals to realise substantial cost savings of £285-£375 per patient while also improving patient outcomes.
NICE has concluded that the use of TURis for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostate enlargement (BPE) avoids the risk of transurethral resection (TUR) syndrome and reduces the need for blood transfusions. TURis also demonstrated equivalent efficacy to monopolar systems – long considered the ‘gold standard’ for TURP.
Additionally the Committee found that, as a result of using TURis, there is potential to reduce the length of hospital stay and its associated risks for each patient, as well as reducing hospital readmissions. Not only may these benefits improve patient satisfaction and outcomes, but could also result in improved waiting list times, general health system efficiency and increased hospital revenue by switching to day-case procedures.
Approximately 15,000 TURP procedures are carried out each year in England and Wales. With potential savings of between £285 and £375 per patient, at least four million pounds could be saved per year by NHS implementation of the new NICE guidance. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg23.
