Role of temporary stents in alternative treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Although various heat treatments of benign prostatic hyperplasia have shown promising results, their morbidity--particularly urinary retention--should not be underestimated. Temporary stents are an appealing solution to this problem. Some of these are removable, whereas others are biodegradable, The various stent designs and the early clinical results are reviewed. The authors believe that temporary stents will encourage the use of alternatives to transurethral resection.