Transurethral resection of the prostate
Definition
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Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is surgery to remove all or part of the prostate gland, to treat an enlarged prostate.
See also:
Alternative Names
TURP; Prostate resection - transurethral
Description
You will be given general anesthesia (asleep, pain-free) or spinal anesthesia (awake, sedated, pain-free). The procedure takes about 1 hour.
The surgeon will insert a tube-like tool called a cystoscope (or endoscope) through your urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder out of the penis). The surgeon then inserts a special cutting tool through the cystoscope. This tool will remove part of your prostate gland piece by piece with an electric current.
Risks
Risks for any surgery are:
- Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs
- Breathing problems
- Infection, including in the surgical wound, lungs (pneumonia), or bladder or kidney
- Blood loss
- Heart attack or stroke during surgery
- Reactions to medications
Additional risks are:
- Problems with urine control (incontinence)
- Loss of sperm fertility (infertility)
- Erection problems (impotence)
- Passing the semen into the bladder instead of out through the urethra (retrograde ejaculation)
- Urethral stricture (tightening of the urinary outlet from scar tissue)
- Transurethral resection (TUR) syndrome (water build up during surgery)
- Damage to internal organs and structures
Review Date: 3/4/2009
Reviewed By: Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Reviewed By: Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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