What Are the Treatments for an Enlarged Prostate?

According to the National Institutes of Health, over one-half of all men will show symptoms of an enlarged prostate by age 60. The risk of developing enlarged prostate increases with age. Common symptoms of an enlarged prostate include incontinence, the inability to completely empty the bladder, an urgent need to urinate and pain. The type of treatment used for an enlarged prostate depends on how large the prostate has grown and the risk of complications.

Medications

• For mild to moderate prostate problems, medication may be prescribed. Alpha blockers are a group of drugs that relax prostate muscles. Alpha blockers often relieve symptoms within a few days of starting treatment. Hormone inhibitors, such as finasteride and dutasteride, help shrink the prostate by lowering hormone levels. If an enlarged prostate has become inflamed, antibiotics may also be prescribed.

Heat Treatments

• Transurethral needle ablation and transurethral microwave therapy are treatments that use heat to destroy part of an enlarged prostate. Both procedures are less invasive than traditional surgery and can be done on an outpatient basis. Transurethral needle ablation uses radio waves to produce heat, and transurethral microwave therapy uses a microwave heat process.

TURP Surgery

• For very large prostates, surgery may be recommended. The most common type of surgery done for an enlarged prostate is transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). A TURP procedure is done in a hospital setting and involves removing parts of the prostate with special tools inserted through the urethra. Patients stay in the hospital for up to three days after TURP surgery, and some men may experience reduced sexual function and incontinence problems for up to a year after surgery.

Open Surgery

• Open prostatectomy for enlarged prostates is rarely done these days. However, if a prostate is extremely large or damaging surrounding organs, open surgery may be needed. An open prostatectomy may involve partial or full removal of the prostate gland. Open surgery and TURP procedures have similar side effects, but the side effects may be more severe or longer lasting with open surgery.

Laser Surgery

• Laser surgery is less invasive than TURP or open surgery and may require an overnight hospital stay. In some cases, laser surgery may be done on an outpatient basis. In laser surgery, a thin scope is inserted into the urethra, and a laser is focused on sections of the prostate, effectively vaporizing the tissue. The recovery time for laser treatment is usually much faster than other surgeries.

Lifestyle Treatments

• For enlarged prostate with lesser symptoms, a watchful waiting may be recommended. This approach involves monitoring prostate changes and making lifestyle changes that may improve symptoms. Individuals with enlarged prostate symptoms should avoid large amounts of liquids in a short period of time and limit their caffeine and alcohol intake. Individuals should use the restroom as soon as they have the urge to urinate and incorporate physical activity into their routine. A doctor may recommend a person stop taking antihistamines as the medication may make symptoms worse.