The prostate is an accessory sexual gland in the male. It is about the size of a walnut and is below the bladder, encircling the urethra.
Do I Need Surgery for BPH?
5 Questions to Ask Before Surgery
As you think over the options for surgery, ask your doctor these questions:
- Is there a good chance my condition will get better?
- How much will it improve?
- What are the chances of side effects from treatment?
- How long will the effects last?
- Will I need to have this treatment repeated?
With newer technologies, doctors can do some minimally invasive procedures with tiny cuts (incisions) or use tube-style instruments that they insert into you. These procedures may not treat the symptoms to the same degree of durability as more invasive surgical options, they do have faster recoveries, less pain afterward and have reduced risks.
Minimally Invasive Procedures
With newer technologies, doctors can use minimally invasive procedures with tiny cuts (incisions) or use tube-style instruments that they insert into the urethra. They relieve symptoms of BPH better than medicines. Other benefits include faster recovery and less pain than traditional, open surgery and fewer risks. These procedures do not involve removing or cutting into the prostate. Your doctor will consider the size of your prostate and your overall health to determine if minimally invasive surgery is right for you.
Types of minimally invasive surgery include:
- Rezūm water vapor therapy. A device is inserted into the urethra, your urine tube and a small needle deliver water vapor or steam to treat the excess prostate tissue. It is usually performed in your doctor’s office.
- Transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT). This noninvasive procedure uses a microwave antenna attached to a flexible tube that your doctor inserts into your bladder. The microwave heat kills off excess prostate tissue.
- UroLift system. The UroLift is a permanently placed device used to lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way, so it no longer blocks the urethra. The procedure does not affect sexual function. It is typically performed using local or general anesthesia in a physician’s office, ambulatory surgery center or operating room. Patients typically return home the same day without a catheter.
- Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA). This procedure is no longer recommended for the treatment of BPH. It is an office-based procedure where your doctor inserts a heated needle into the prostate through the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen through the penis. The heated needle uses radiofrequency waves to heat up and destroy excess cells in the prostate gland.
