When Prostate Surgery Fails
When it comes to surgical procedures of any kind, there is always a risk that things won’t work out. When surgery fails or leads to side effects and complications that are permanent, the reality can be devastating.
Therefore, when it comes to deciding which treatment method is best for treating your benign prostate hyperplasia, it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects and risks that come with each method.
One of the most common procedures to treat a symptomatic enlarged prostate is the transurethral resection of the prostate, also known as TURP.
TURP is a procedure that involves removing prostate tissues through the urethra, in order to allow urine and other bodily fluids to pass more easily.
Though the most common side effects, like experiencing some post-op blood in your urine, will pass with time. Other side effects and undesirable outcomes might not.
Not every prostate procedure is guaranteed to cure the issue it is aiming to treat. And, TURP is no exception to this.
First of all, sometimes the TURP surgery will not relieve all of your symptoms, such as urinary symptoms that might not change or be entirely cured.
You might be wondering- How is that possible, given that during the surgery the blockage was cleared?
The urinary issues may be continuing due to urethral strictures.
Urethral strictures are caused by scarring that can occur after TURP, both in and around the urinary tract. This scarring can actually cause further blockage to urine flow. And as a result, another surgery may be required.
Some patients also experience urinary incontinence following the TURP procedure. This can happen due to continuing bladder problems or even sphincter muscle damage.
Another concern for men undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate in order to treat benign prostate hyperplasia is the risk of having erectile issues following the procedure.
Erectile dysfunction is a potential risk that comes with just about any prostate surgery, and can usually be treated with medication. However, it’s important to keep in mind that these medications also come with their own set of side effects and risks.
Fortunately, there are other treatment methods for an enlarged prostate that have a much lower risk of experiencing these unwanted outcomes, especially in regard to sexual function.
In fact, Prostate Artery Embolization has been shown to actually improve erectile function following the procedure. And it comes without the risk of retrograde ejaculation, which is the most common long-term complication following the TURP procedure, affecting as many as 65 to 75% of men.
In our next article, we will take a look at this unfortunate potential complication from TURP.
