The UNBLOCS trial
Enlargement of the prostate can make it difficult, or even impossible, for men to pass urine or cause other bothersome urinary symptoms.
25,000 men each year have an operation to reduce the size of their prostate, making it one of the most common operations performed in the NHS.
The aim of the UNBLOCS trial was to compare standard surgery for prostate reduction and a new type of laser surgery, to establish which gives the best results and value for patients and the NHS.
The trial ran for four years, ending in March 2018. A total of 410 men took part across seven centres in the UK; Bristol, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Swindon, Cheltenham, Truro and Leeds.
Mr Hashim Hashim, Consultant Urological Surgeon and Director of the Urodynamics Unit at the Bristol Urological Institute, North Bristol NHS Trust, led the trial which was managed by the Bristol Randomised Trials Collaboration at the University of Bristol.
The results of the trial have now been published in The Lancet – please see the section on trial progress.
This important trial will allow us to provide national recommendations on the surgical treatment of benign prostatic enlargement, ensuring that we are giving men the best available treatment.
