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Prostate surgery (TURP)

Transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) is an operation to remove part of your prostate gland. It's commonly used to treat urinary problems due to an enlarged prostate.

The prostate is a small gland located between your penis and bladder. It surrounds your urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder to your penis, where it leaves your body). The prostate helps to make semen.

The prostate enlarges as you get older. As your prostate becomes enlarged, it squeezes your urethra. This can cause problems passing urine, such as:

trouble starting to urinate
a weak stream
trouble stopping the flow, or dribbling
flow stopping and starting
often having an urgent need to go to the toilet
feeling the need to go more often, sometimes with small amounts or none coming out
getting up more than once at night.

Doctors usually recommend a TURP when your symptoms significantly affect your day-to-day living and aren't helped by medication.

Doctors believe that all older men have some prostate enlargement. But only one in eight men needs an operation.

The link below explains how the operation is done and what to expect after the operation.

HealthInfo recommends the following pages

NHS – Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
Information about TURP surgery. The pages explain how the operation is done and what to expect after the operation.

On the next page: Continence & prostate surgery

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Endorsed by Urology Department, Canterbury DHB. Last reviewed August 2018.

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