To evaluate the incidence and outcome of initial surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to clarify the natural occurrence and progression of such urologic diseases, two studies have been conducted in a free-living population in Rochester, MN. The first followed 330 men who had not been diagnosed with prostate or bladder cancer at the time of prostatectomy. All surgery subjects were area residents and between 46 and 95 years of age (mean age 70 years). Among the operated subjects, 14 (4.2%) had serious intraoperative complications, 32 (9.7%) were rehospitalized for urologic complications within 30 days after surgery, and 13 (3.9%) experienced other serious complications in that same time period. Blood transfusions within 30 days of surgery were necessary in 45 patients (14%). The risk of reoperation within 6 years of the initial surgery was calculated at 15.1% (95% CI: 9.7, 20.6). On the basis of age- and sex-specific mortality statistics for Rochester, short- and long-term postoperative mortality was not statistically significantly different from that expected. Results of the second study are not yet available. This population-based evaluation of the natural history of urologic disease is expected to clarify the relative utility of various treatment options and provide a useful perspective on the management of BPH.