Surgical Treatment for an Enlarged Prostate

Patients with BPH may need removal of the enlarged part of the prostate by surgical methods. It is normally the best long-term solution for some patients with BPH. This surgery only removes the portion of the prostate gland that is pressing against the urethra tube. The rest of the gland is left intact as well as the outside capsule. There are different forms of surgery that are used in treating enlarged prostate glands.

Transurethral surgery is a type that does not need an external cut. After anesthesia is given the surgeon can reach the prostate by inserting the surgical instrument through the urethra tube. Another form of surgery is the transurethral resection of the prostate or TURP. This method is used for 90 percent of all surgeries to correct BPH. An instrument called a resetoscope is inserted through the penis and uses a light and valves for controlling irrigating fluid, and a small electric loop to cut the tissue and seal blood vessels. The instrument is about 12 inches long and « inch in diameter. This method of surgery takes about 90 minutes and the excess tissue from the gland is taken to the bladder then flushed after surgery. Most doctors prefer this method because it causes fewer traumas to the body and has a shorter recovery time.

A third form of surgery is called transurethral incision of the prostate or TUIP. It is another minimally invasive form of surgery. Instead of removing excess prostate tissue it widens the urethra by making a few small cuts in the neck of the bladder. The cuts are made where the urethra joins the bladder and in the prostate gland. This form of surgery is still not been proved to give the same relief as TURP or to cause fewer side effects. Doctors believe that it reduces the chance of backward ejaculation where the semen flows backward into the bladder during climax instead of out the urethra.

When the three above methods of surgery cannot be used, the doctor or specialist may recommend using a surgery that requires an incision. If the prostate gland is extremely enlarged, open surgery may be the only way to correct the problem. Open surgery may be needed if the bladder needs repaired or there are other complications. The place of the enlargement and the patients healthy will be deciding factors to which surgical method is chosen by your surgeon.

The FDA approved laser surgery in 1996. It uses side-firing lasers to destroy any prostate tissue that is obstructing the urethra. The bursts of energy are delivered by using a cystoscope and each burst lasts between 30 and 60 seconds. The laser causes shrinkage and destroys prostate tissue. There is an advantage of using laser surgery. Very little blood is lost during this surgery and it allows for a quicker recovery time. Doctors are concerned that laser surgery may not be effective on larger prostates. New procedures involving lasers are being used and results have been good.

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