Benign prostatic hyperplasia in elderly men - What are the special issues in treatment?

BPH is an age-related condition that can give rise to urinary symptoms. As the proportion of elderly men in the population rises, the number with symptomatic BPH requiring advice on possible treatments will increase. A range of effective treatments is available, and although there are certain absolute indications for surgery, patients with moderate or severe symptoms require counseling to reach a decision on the treatment modality most appropriate for them. Concomitant age-related disease and use of multiple medications add to the complexity of treating elderly men for BPH. In every case of BPH, the risks of each treatment option should be weighed against the potential benefits and a joint decision reached by physician and patient.