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SERVICES
Transurethral surgery
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In this type of surgery, no external incision is needed.
After giving anesthesia, the surgeon reaches the prostate by inserting
an instrument through the urethra.
A procedure called TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) is used
for 90 percent of all prostate surgeries done for BPH. With TURP, an instrument
called a resectoscope is inserted through the penis. The resectoscope,
which is about 12 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter, contains a light,
valves for controlling irrigating fluid, and an electrical loop that cuts
tissue and seals blood vessels.
During 45 - 90 minutes operation, the surgeon uses the resectoscope's
wire loop to remove the obstructing tissue one piece at a time. The pieces
of tissue are carried by the fluid into the bladder and then flushed out
at the end of the operation.
Most doctors suggest using TURP whenever possible. Transurethral procedures
are less traumatic than open forms of surgery and require a shorter recovery
period.
Another surgical procedure is called transurethral incision of the prostate
(TUIP). Instead of removing tissue, as with TURP, this procedure widens
the urethra by making a few small cuts in the bladder neck, where the
urethra joins the bladder, and in the prostate gland itself. Although
some people believe that TUIP gives the same relief as TURP with less
risk of side effects such as retrograde ejaculation, its advantages and
long-term side effects have not been clearly established.
