Side Effects of Surgery for an Enlarged Prostate

Englarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) ,affects every man differently. Medication and less-invasive procedures are commonly used to treat BPH, but in more severe cases, doctors will still perform surgery. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is often used to treat moderate to severe enlarged prostate. At one time, it was one of the most common surgeries on men over the age of 65, but it is being phased out because of laser prostatectomy. Both techniques have some side effects, however.

Laser Surgery

• There are fewer and less-severe side effects with laser surgery than TURP or Transurethral resection of the prostate. Expect some painful urination for several days to several weeks after the surgery, though. There may also be retrograde ejaculation.

Recurring Issues

• Laser surgery will reduce symptoms of enlarged prostate, but, over time, symptoms may return and you may need to undergo treatment again.

TURP

• A common side effect of TURP is excessive bleeding. This is rare because of modern surgical techniques but still worth knowing. You may also deal with a frequent urge to urinate during the recovery period.

TURP Syndrome

• You may experience TURP syndrome if your bloodstream absorbs too much of the irrigating solution used during surgery. This causes very low concentrations of sodium in your blood.

Other Side Effects

• Some prolonged side effects of TURP include painful urination, semen entering your bladder, problems getting an erection, urinary tract infections, blood in your urine and bladder neck narrowing.