Possibilities and Limitations of Phytotherapy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Surgical treatment (transurethral resection or open surgical enucleation of the adenoma) of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is still the only curative therapy and therefore the "gold standard" for the treatment of BPH. Other treatment modalities have to be judged according to this standard. Despite all improvements in surgical technique and modern anesthesiology, a perioperative mortality rate of 0.2% and an increased delayed mortality due to cardiovascular diseases remains a significant risk factor (19). Furthermore, other possible complications of surgery such as urinary incontinence, erectile impotence, or retrograde ejaculation are not acceptable to some patients.