The prostate is a male gland that is located in the pelvis under the bladder, surrounding the urethra. Its role is very important in the reproductive system as it produces the fluids that carry sperm. There are several prostate conditions, and those that lead to requiring surgery are prostate cancer and benign prostatic enlargement or hyperplasia (BPH).
Surgery goals
Surgery for the prostate partial or complete removal is called prostatectomy and is used to treat conditions such as prostate cancer with the aim of curing the condition, maintaining the ability to control the urinary sphincter, to have and maintain erections, and above all, to preserve the patient’s life in the face of a serious disease such as cancer, in which case the goals are to remove cancerous tissue and prevent metastasis, while BPH surgery is usually intended to remove prostate tissue to restore urine flow to normal levels.
Specialists usually recommend surgery in the following cases:
- Prostate enlargement which prevents or hinders urination and makes the patient more likely to get urinary tract infections
- Repetitive urinary tract infections
- Prostate bleeding
- Urinary retention that prevents bladder completely emptying
- Urinating very slowly
- Failure with drug therapy
- Bladder stones with enlarged prostate
- Increased need to urinate at night
- Difficulty initiating urination
- Feeling of not having completely emptying the bladder
Partial or total prostatectomy will help symptoms improve. Now, surgery can be performed in ways depending on the condition, the options are:
- Simple prostatectomy. Open surgery may be done to remove prostate tissue, or use minimally invasive techniques such as endoscopy or laparoscopy. This procedure is usually indicated to treat benign hyperplasia symptoms or enlarged prostate since only the part that blocks the urine flow is removed.
- Radical prostatectomy. It is done to remove all of the prostate and surrounding lymph nodes to treat localized cancer. The techniques are usually by laparoscopy with a robotic assistant that responds precisely to the surgeon’s hands movements, or by open surgery.
- Prostatectomy provides relief from symptoms related to this gland and, fortunately, complications are rare and the patient can recover their normal activity after four weeks, with minor restrictions.
If you have prostate conditions such as those mentioned in this publication and you are looking for a specialist in urology, in New City Med you will find it so that you can recover your health and life quality. Browse our website or contact us for more information, we will gladly assist you.