[Problems with the intraurethral spiral].

In the last decade numerous attempts have been undertaken in non-surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in order to enable the patient to void his bladder under control, without residual urine and without surgical resection. For the time being, attempts with drug therapy, as well as the more invasive methods with thermic or dilating effect on the prostatogenic infravesical obstruction are based on empiric studies. For many patients transurethral or suprapubic long-term catheterisation is, after all, the only solution. In this respect the "urologic spiral" represents a conservative alternative. In 1980 Fabian was the first to report on the successful clinical application of the intraprostatic "partial catheter" in 2 patients. 4 years later Fabian's remarkably good results in 48 patients are promising. However, what strikes first as an efficient innovation may also have its shortcomings and complications, as it was our experience in the first applications.