TURP is usually done to ease symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate. It’s the surgical removal of part of the prostate gland and is by far the most common surgical procedure used for benign prostate disease.
TURP is a procedure to resect the prostate which may be enlarged in a condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), commonly found in elderly men.
The prostate is a small, chestnut shaped gland composed of different lobes enclosed in a fibrous capsule. Located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum, the prostate also surrounds the urethra, the canal through which urine is passed out of the body.
An endoscope is inserted through the penis, and the portion of the gland is removed, relieving the compression on the urethra. This may be likened to removing the pulp of an orange fruit while leaving the skin intact. The operation time varies from half an hour to two hours, with no incision on the skin. The amount of prostate removed during TURP is less than that reported on ultrasound, as the latter always overestimates.
At the end of the surgery, a urethral catheter is placed to drain urine from the bladder into a collection bag. Urine is drained this way for a few days allowing the surgical wound to heal undisturbed. In some instances, your bladder may be irrigated (flushed with water) via the catheter to keep it clean.Once irrigation has stopped, you may notice that your urine is a little red. Don’t be alarmed as some bleeding is normal. It should clear up by the time you are discharged from the hospital.
It is usually diagnosed by a combination of some of the following methods:
TURP is performed using spinal anaesthesia or general (whole body) anaesthesia, in which the anaesthesia is given by injection, inhalation or both to induce a loss of sensation and consciousness. Hospital stay for TURP is usually two to four days, depending on associated medical factors.
No operation is completely risk-free, but TURP is generally safe and effective. Some possible complications could include urinary tract infection in 4%, bleeding requiring transfusion in 1%, urethral stricture in 7%, bladder neck contractures in 4%, retrograde ejaculation in 16-95% and urinary incontinence 1-2% which usually gets better over a period of 3-6 months. Do speak to your surgeon if you need more details.