A prostatectomy is a surgical procedure which removes all, or a part, of the prostate gland, to address abnormalities which may arise, such as an enlarged gland, or atumor, which can cause a restriction in urine flow, among other problems. There are a number of forms of prostatectomy.
- Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP): A rectoscope with a viewing angle of thirty degrees and a resectoscopy sheath and element gets passed to the prostate, through the urethra, where the nearby tissue is removed. This commonly used procedure addresses BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasica), with excellent rates of good outcome in eighty to ninety percent of patients.
- Conventional (monopolar) TURP: The conventional version of the TURP procedure uses a wire loop which carries a monopolar electrical current through the resetectoscope, which cuts the tissue. A grounding pad, and a fluid with non-conductive properties must be used to keep the electrical current from disturbing nearby tissue. Unfortunately, the fluid used is usually glycine, which can damage the very tissue it tries to protect from the monopolar electrical current, which results in “TUR Syndrome”; hence, the former version of TURP is preferred and more commonly utilized.
- Bipolar TURP: This is a newer technique; instead of a monopolar current, it uses a bipolar current to remove tissue. This allows for irrigation with a saline solution and removes any need for a grounding pad; therefore, the aforementioned “TUR Syndrome” is prevented, and other complications are reduced. Bipolar TURP isn’t subject to the same time constraints as Conventional (monopolar) TURP surgeries.
- Laser Prostate Surgery: Yet another method of prostatectomy uses a laser’s energy to remove the tissue of the prostate gland. A fiber optic cable is inserted through the urethra, and transmits high powered lasers to vaporize and adenoma. The advantage of using laser energy instead of electrosurgical currents is that there is less blood loss, no TUR Syndrome risk, the fact that larger prostate glands can be treated, and patients being treated with anti-coagulants for other issues can be helped with laser prostate surgery.
Learn more about prostatectomy here.