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Transurethral Resection of the Prostate
or TURP
can be used for patients for whom benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) effects
everyday life. TURP is a commonly used surgical treatment
during which a surgeon inserts a resectoscope
into the urethra. The resectoscope is a tool that allows
a surgeon to see the enlarged prostate gland. The surgeon
will place a cutting loop through the resectoscope to
remove a small piece of the prostate
gland tissue. The surgeon then runs an electrical
current through the cutting loop and cuts off small
pieces of the prostate gland in "chips." After
finishing cutting away chips, the surgeon will flush
the urethra and the bladder to remove the tissue that
has been extracted from the prostate.
Finally, the surgeon inserts a catheter to allow the passage of urine out of the body. When the catheter is removed a few weeks later, the body has a wider channel to pass urine out of the body. This wider passage alleviates severe symptoms of BPH.
Transurethral resection of the prostate
is a one-day surgery, though some patients will require
an overnight stay depending on their health. Patients
undergoing the transurethral resection are placed under
general anesthesia. Some complications have been associated
with TURP. Patients opting to undergo the transurethral
resection of their prostate gland may experience hematuria,
and, in some cases, urinary tract infections. Side
effects after TURP include retrograde
ejaculation which occurs during ejaculation
when sperm enter the body rather than exit through the
urethra. After sex or masturbation, patients who experience
retrograde ejaculation may find that their urine is
cloudy.
Not all patients who suffer from severe BPH symptoms, however, are eligible for transurethral resection of the prostate gland. In these patients, the prostate gland has enlarged to the point where more invasive procedures are necessary to alleviate symptoms. These other procedures include the removal of a small part of the prostate gland through an incision or use radiation therapy or cryotherapy to alleviate symptoms.
Patients who have the transurethral
resection of the prostate and who later develop prostate
cancer, may not be eligible for certain treatments
such as brachytherapy
or cryotherapy. Both brachytherapy and cryotherapy require
sufficient tissue to hold either the radioactive seeds
used in permanent LDR
brachytherapy or the ice
balls used in cryotherapy.
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