Comparison of traditional outcome measures and self-assessed goal achievement in patients treated surgically for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Purpose To determine self-assessed goal achievement (SAGA) outcomes in men treated surgically for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) and compare them to the traditional outcome measures. Methods Single-center analysis of prospective database of men undergoing surgical treatment of LUTS/BPO at a single institution between July 2019 and March 2021. We assessed individual goals, traditional questionnaires, and functional outcomes prior to treatment, and at first follow-up after 6–12 weeks. We compared SAGA outcomes ‘overall goal achievement’ and ‘satisfaction with treatment’ to subjective and objective outcomes using Spearman’s rank correlations (rho). Results A total of sixty-eight patients completed the individual goal formulation prior to surgery. Preoperative goals varied between different treatments and individuals. IPSS correlated with ‘overall goal achievement’ (rho = − 0.78, p < 0.001) and ‘satisfaction with treatment’ (rho = − 0.59, p < 0.001). Similarly, the IPSS-QoL was correlated with overall goal achievement (rho = − 0.79, p < 0.001) and satisfaction with treatment (rho = − 0.65, p < 0.001). No correlation was seen between SAGA outcomes and functional outcomes Q max and PVR. Conclusions SAGA represents a uniquely patient-specific outcome measure. Our study is, to our knowledge, the first to assess patient-specific goals prior to surgery and examine SAGA outcomes following treatment in men suffering from LUTS/BPO. The correlation of SAGA outcomes with IPSS and IPSS-QoL highlight the importance of this well-established questionnaire. Functional outcomes do not necessarily reflect patient’s goals and may rather be considered physician-directed outcomes.