Prostate removal Health Article

Indications

Prostate removal may be recommended for:

• Inability to completely empty the bladder (urinary retention)
• Recurrent bleeding from the prostate
• Bladder stones with prostate enlargement
• Extremely slow urination
• Stage A and B prostate cancer
• Increased pressure on the ureters and kidneys (hydronephrosis) from urinary retention

Prostate surgery is not recommended for men who have:

• Blood clotting disorders
• Bladder disease (neurogenic bladder)

Risks

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medications
• Problems breathing

Risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Additional risks include:

• Problems with urine control (incontinence)
• Difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection (impotence)
• Loss of sperm fertility (infertility)
• Passing the semen into the bladder instead of out through the urethra (retrograde ejaculation)
• Urethral stricture (tightening of the urinary outlet)

Expectations after surgery

TURP is typically successful at removing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, although some sources report that within 10 years, about 20% of the people will require another surgery to remove additional prostate tissue.

Patients recovering from surgery for an enlarged prostate may have burning with urination, blood in the urine, urinary frequency, and urgent urination.

Convalescence

Hospital stay for open prostatectomy is about 4 to 7 days. Complete recovery from surgery can take 3 weeks. Drink plenty of fluids to help flush fluids through the bladder. Avoid coffee, cola drinks, and alcoholic beverages as these can cause irritation of the bladder and urethra. You should not do any lifting for 3 to 4 weeks. A stool softener may be used to help prevent constipation, which can delay the healing process.