TURP: The Procedure and The Recovery
Did you know that for around 100 years, transurethral resection of the prostate was the main treatment method for benign prostate hyperplasia?
That’s a long time. And, this procedure is still rather common today.
So what exactly is a transurethral resection of the prostate?
What does it entail?
And what does the recovery look like?
These are all great questions, so let’s get started answering them.
A transurethral resection of the prostate, also known as TURP is a surgery used to treat urinary problems that are caused by an enlarged prostate.
The TURP procedure begins with the use of general anesthesia, followed by the insertion of a resectoscope – a tool that we covered the history and development of in previous articles.
A resectoscope is a thin metal tube that is about 12 inches long and .5 inches in diameter that is inserted into the end of the penis where it is guided into the urethra.
The instrument contains a light, a camera, and a wire loop which is then heated with an electric current. The electrical current running through the wire loops is used to cut tissue and seal blood vessels, while the surgeon removes the tissue that is blocking the urethra one piece at a time.
Once the tissue is removed, a catheter is then inserted into the urethra to pump fluid into the bladder and flush away pieces of the prostate that have been cut.
Following a TURP procedure, most men need to stay in the hospital for one or two days or until there is no significant amount of post-op blood in their urine or other post-op issues.
TURP remains a very common surgery for BPH, with some estimations pointing at upwards of 150,000 men in the United States having TURP each year.
Transurethral resection of the prostate is a treatment that in the past, many men have opted for because it does not remove the entire prostate, and it doesn’t involve any incisions. It is also well-known to have long-term outcomes, with the effects of treatment sometimes lasting 15 years or more.
However, this method of treating BPH is not without its own set of side effects and risks. Therefore more and more men are opting for a non-invasive prostate procedure called Prostate Artery Embolization.
In our next article, we will take a look at the side effects and risks of TURP and compare them to that of Prostate Artery Embolization.
