Fast Facts On Bph Surgery:
- Surgery is rarely the first line of treatment for BPH.
- A doctor who specializes in the urinary tract does most TURP surgeries.
- TURP is considered a fairly safe, effective procedure for treating BPH.
According to the American Urological Association, transurethral resection of the prostate or TURP is the most common type of surgery used to treat BPH. Every year, doctors perform it on around 150,000 American men.
Surgeons perform most TURP procedures when the patient is under general anesthesia and unconscious or asleep.
Alternatively, they use spinal anesthesia, where a needle is placed in the spine to stop any sensation below the waist.
Possible Side Effects To Look Out For
The anatomical location of the prostate gland means these surgeries are likely to cause urinary tract and erection problems.
You may notice:
Damage to surrounding tissue
Talking to your medical team about the possible side effects associated with each surgery is helpful. This should allow you to seek medical help if you notice anything unusual.
Surgical Treatment For Enlarged Prostate
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Transurethral resection of the prostate . In this surgery, the inner portion of the prostate is removed. Used 90% of the time, this is the most commonly used surgical procedure for BPH.
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Open prostatectomy .The surgeon makes an incision and removes the enlarged tissue from the prostate.
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Laser surgery Laser surgery uses laser energy to destroy prostate tissue and shrink the prostate.
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Transurethral incision of the prostate .This surgery does not involve removing prostate tissue. A few small cuts are made in the prostate gland to reduce the prostates pressure on the urethra, making urination easier.
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Surgery To Remove Prostate Cancer
Surgery is one of the main treatments for prostate cancer. You usually have surgery to remove your prostate gland. This is a radical prostatectomy.
A radical prostatectomy is a major operation with some possible side effects. You may not need this type of surgery if youre an older man with a slow growing prostate cancer. This is because your cancer might grow so slowly that youre more likely to die of old age or other causes than from prostate cancer.
Surgery For Prostate Cancer
Surgery is a common choice to try to cure prostate cancer if it is not thought to have spread outside the prostate gland.
The main type of surgery for prostate cancer is a radical prostatectomy. In this operation, the surgeon removes the entire prostate gland plus some of the tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles.
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Benign Enlarged Prostate: What Are The Pros And Cons Of Surgery
Surgery can very effectively reduce the problems associated with a benign enlarged prostate. It is considered if other treatments don’t provide enough relief, or if the enlarged prostate keeps causing medical problems such as urinary tract infections. But surgery often has side effects.
Most men who have a benign enlarged prostate aren’t in urgent need of surgery. They can take their time to carefully consider the pros and cons. There are various possible reasons for deciding to have surgery. For instance:
- The prostate-related problems may be very distressing, and other treatments may not have led to a big enough improvement.
- The enlarged prostate may frequently cause other medical problems, such as recurring urinary tract infections or bladder stones.
- Treatment with medication may not be possible for medical reasons.
What Is Enlarged Prostate Surgery
Enlarged prostate can lead to serious issues in men and hamper their lives. They might face many troubles and undergo a lot of pain because of an enlarged prostate gland. Hence enlarged prostate surgery becomes indispensable to reduce the risk of cancer in men.
Enlarged prostate surgery is a surgical procedure used to treat urinary ailments often developed due to an abnormal increase in the size of a prostate. The prostate gland is located just in front of the rectum, underneath the bladder.
It is required in the part of the male reproductive system that produces fluids that transport sperm. The surgical removal of the prostate is known as an enlarged prostate surgery prostatectomy.
The most important causes for prostate surgery are prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia .
Transurethral resection of the prostate or TURP is commonly used for men who might suffer from moderate to severe urinary problems that have not been cured by medication.
Although TURP has been considered to be the most appropriate cure for an abnormal prostate, a few other procedures are also becoming more popular. These procedures are less prone to complications and have a shorter recovery period than the TURP treatment.
The actual reason for prostate enlargement is unidentified, but it is thought to be related to hormonal changes that occur as men age. As one ages the balance of hormone levels in the body changes, which may cause the prostate gland to grow.
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What Are The Warning Signs Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Your prostate surrounds your urethra. When BPH causes your prostate to grow, it can cause blockage in your urethra. As a result, early symptoms of BPH include:
- Slowness or dribbling when you pee.
- Difficulty starting to pee.
- Kidney damage due to pee backflow from your bladder up to your kidney. The pee backflow increases pressure on your kidney.
What To Do After Enlarged Prostate Surgery
Allow yourself time to rest because you may feel tired after surgery. The recovery time also depends upon the care you take and the instructions you
Instructions may include the following:
- Maintaining the cleanliness of your surgical wound
- Stop driving for at least 7 days
- Stop vigorous exercise and activity
- Not climbing the stairs till the wound is healed
- Don’t use swimming pools or hot tubs as they may lead to infection
- Don’t sit in the same position for more than half an hour
- Taking pain reliever medications as directed
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Using Pads Or A Sheath
Absorbent pads and pants can be worn inside your underwear, or may replace your underwear altogether. These will soak up any leaks.
Urinary sheaths can also help with dribbling. They look like condoms with a tube coming out of the end. The tube connects to a bag that you can strap to your leg under your clothing.
What Are The Treatment Options For Bph
Fortunately, men have plenty of options to treat BPH, especially as the prostate often continues to grow as men age. For some men who only experience mild or occasional symptoms, the best course of action may be only observation and monitoring. More bothersome or advanced symptoms can be treated with medication or surgery, as well as newer, non-invasive procedures.
BPH medications: Drugs known as alpha-blockers, such as Flomax, typically work by relaxing the muscles around the urethra. This leaves the urethra channel wider for a more normal urine flow. Another class of drugs is 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors like Proscar, which decreases the prostates size by as much as 25 percent. I always counsel my patients that, just like taking any medication, there can be potential side effects to these drugs, such as changes in blood pressure and possible sexual side effects.
Surgery for BPH: The most common BPH surgery is called a transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP. To reduce the pressure on the urethra from the prostate enlargement, I surgically remove part of the prostate. Some men who opt for the TURP procedure can experience reoccurring urinary tract infections or even erectile dysfunction.
Effective, non-invasive techniques: Two popular options we now offer are performed right in the office and dont require general anesthesia. As the name suggests, the Urolift procedure lifts the prostate up away from the urethra to open the channel for a better urine flow.
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What Is The Latest Treatment For Enlarged Prostate
The prostate is a gland that sits at the bottom of the bladder and wraps around the urethra. The urethra is like a tube, where urine exits through from the bladder to the outside of the body. An enlarged prostate occurs primarily as function of genetics and time. As the prostate gets larger it may obstruct or block the flow of urine, resulting in a variety of problems or symptoms related to urination.
Urologists have long been treating urinary symptoms secondary to prostate enlargement for more than 50 years, combining both medical and surgical treatment strategies to address this common problem.
In the 1960âs, alpha blocker medications, which were initially developed and employed for the purpose relaxing muscles in the prostate gland, have gradually become more accessible and specific for the prostate tissue. Additional medications have also been developed and improved, but one of the newest is a daily dose of tadalafil. Tadalafil can be used to treat both mild symptoms of erectile dysfunction and urinary symptoms from prostate enlargement. In addition to this, other medications for urinary symptoms, such as mirabegron, can also be used to improve bladder storage and relaxation and alleviate the urinary symptoms of urgency and frequency that can sometimes co-exist or be a result of prostate enlargement.
Enlarged Prostate Or Bph: How Is It Treated
Talking about prostate health is a day in the life of a urologist. But as a specialist who treats conditions involving the male reproductive system and urinary tract, I know this conversation is far from routine for most men. Thats why I welcome initiatives like Movember as an opportunity to focus on issues around mens health.
Today Ill discuss a common clinical diagnosis especially for men over 50 known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. Simply put, BPH means an enlarged prostate, a condition generally considered to be a regular part of male aging.
But what does normal aging really mean in terms of how men experience BPH signs or symptoms? My answer may seem vague. But every patient is different, and an enlarged prostate can cause a range of symptoms, from mildly bothersome to severely uncomfortable.
Plus, you have to factor in the hereditary aspect of prostate health if your parent or sibling has BPH, you are four times more likely to develop it yourself.
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What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
- How can you tell that I have BPH?
- If I dont have BPH, what other condition might I have?
- What can I do to help reduce the size of my prostate?
- Do I need treatment?
- Whats the best treatment for me?
- What supplements do you recommend?
- Will these supplements affect any other medications or supplements that Im taking?
- Should I see a urologist?
What Is Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men, right behind skin cancer. Prostate cancer is also the second most deadly cancer in American men. Prostate cancer is more frequent among African American men than it is among white men. Furthermore, African American men are more likely to die of prostate cancer than are white men.
The vast majority of prostate cancers are a type of cancer called adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinomas arise from cells that produce fluids like mucus.
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Does Having Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Increase The Risk Of Prostate Cancer
Research shows that having BPH doesnt increase your risk of developing prostate cancer. However, BPH and prostate cancer have similar symptoms. If you have BPH, you may have undetected prostate cancer at the same time.
To help detect prostate cancer in its early stages, every person with a prostate should get a prostate screening every year between the ages of 55 and 69. You have an increased risk of getting prostate cancer if youre Black or have a family history of prostate cancer. If you have an increased risk of prostate cancer, you should start getting prostate screenings at age 40.
Reasons To Consider Bph Surgery
Surgery shouldn’t be seen as a last resort. It can be a great option for men who can’t take medications, want to get off medications, or desire more improvement in symptoms.
Benefits of surgical intervention for BPH:
“Every patient is different, and there are a lot of treatment options, so it can be difficult to decide which intervention to pursue,” says Dr. Christiansen. “It’s important to consider the size and shape of your prostate, overall health, as well as your symptoms and goals in terms of urinary and sexual function, to determine what’s right for you.”
Experiencing signs of prostate enlargement?800.922.0000
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The Importance Of Prostate Massage
Prostate massage is a treatment that addresses the root cause of most prostate issues. Treatments like surgery and medications only provide temporary relief by treating the symptoms and not the cause.
> > > Prostate Massage for Optimal Prostate Health
On the other hand, regular prostate massages encourage the gland to work without problems. A man will not be subjected to dangerous side effects from medication or complications from surgery. Massage also helps make the prostate stronger and more resistant from disease and infection.
Advantages Of Prostate Massage
Although regular prostate massage can help to eliminate or reduce the severity of any symptoms a man may have, it can also offer other benefits especially with improved sexual enjoyment and function.
It is a fact that modern medicine has not been able to determine the causes and treatments for many conditions related to the prostate. Even though prevention is the best medicine, prostate massage will help improve your prostateâs health and prevent existing conditions from becoming worse.
However, in the case of bacterial prostatitis, left untreated, can cause intense inflammation and increased bacterial growth.
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How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treated
If you have mild symptoms, you may not require any treatment. Your healthcare provider may recommend a watchful waiting approach in which you schedule regular appointments to ensure your BPH doesnt get any worse.
Treatment options include:
Medications
The most commonly prescribed medications relax the muscle in your prostate, which reduces tension on your urethra. Examples include:
Some medications decrease the production of the hormone DHT, which can slow the growth of your prostate gland. These medications are most beneficial to people with larger prostates. Examples include:
Your healthcare provider may prescribe combined medications that help treat your symptoms as well as improve your urine flow. One example is dutasteride and tamsulosin .
After you start a medication, it may take between one and eight weeks for your symptoms to improve.
Surgery
Several different types of surgery can remove prostate tissue that blocks your urethra. These include:
After a surgical procedure, you should be able to resume normal activities within a few days or a week.
Minimally invasive treatments
Examples of minimally invasive treatments include:
The most common side effects of these treatments include peeing more than normal and discomfort or irritation while your prostate heals.
After a minimally invasive procedure, you should be able to return to your normal activities in a few days. You should see improvements in your symptoms within three to six weeks.
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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Causes Symptoms And Treatment
When you have a healthy prostate, you may hardly notice it’s there. The walnut-sized male sex organ, located just below the bladder, makes fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. But as you age, the prostate can enlarge, impacting your quality of life.
If you’re experiencing a weak urine stream or trouble starting your stream, have to push or strain to urinate, or have difficulty emptying your bladder, you might have an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. While it has nothing to do with prostate cancer, the condition should still be taken seriously. Left untreated, an enlarged prostate can lead to a sudden inability to urinate, urinary tract infections, bladder infections or kidney damage.
Read on to learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment options.
Your Bph Surgery Options
Surgery, including both minimally invasive procedures and more traditional surgical treatments, generally yields a high rate of success. However, surgery is not a typical first-line treatment for BPH. Surgery is usually reserved for men who have moderate to severe BPH symptoms as well as men whose symptoms have not improved with medication.
Although fairly common and safe, each of the common surgeries for treating BPH come with potential side effects and complications. Most of these side effects are rare. Its nonetheless important to know all the potential outcomes before making a treatment decision. Its also important to be aware of the recovery expectations for BPH surgery.
Here are the most common BPH surgeries and the possible risks of each.
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When To See A Doctor
Most people begin to feel better and have an improved urine flow within 4 to 6 weeks after TURP surgery.
Overall, the risk of serious complications after TURP surgery is quite low. But as with all surgeries, there are some potential health risks associated with the procedure that require medical attention and intervention.
Reasons to seek medical attention after TURP surgery include:
- reduced urine flow or urinary symptoms, such as incontinence or urinary urgency 6 weeks post-surgery
- blood in the urine that is severe or lasts longer than 4 to 6 weeks
- severe clots of blood in urine or urine that is entirely red
- weakness and fatigue that does not improve after 4 weeks
- impotence or erectile dysfunction