Transurethral prostatectomy for prostatitis

Surgery Overview

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This procedure involves removal of part of the prostate gland through the urethra.

A long, thin tube with a viewing instrument (cytoscope) attached is inserted into the urethra. Prostate tissue is removed through the cytoscope.

What To Expect After Surgery

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You are usually hospitalized for 2 to 3 days. Complete recovery generally requires 3 to 4 weeks.

Why It Is Done

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This surgery may be done for:

• Chronic bacterial prostatitis that resists antibiotic treatment, with or without infected prostate stones (prostatic calculi).
• Repeated urinary tract infections because of another prostate problem for which surgery may be appropriate, such as prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH).

How Well It Works

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Few men with chronic bacterial prostatitis have their symptoms improve after this surgery.¹

Risks

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• Urinary incontinence
• Inability to get or maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction)

What To Think About

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To eliminate category II (chronic bacterial) prostatitis successfully, the surgery must completely remove the portion of the prostate that contains the infection.

Complete the surgery information form (PDF) (What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this surgery.

References

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Citations

1. Nickel JC (2002). Prostatitis and related conditions. In PC Walsh et al., eds., Campbell's Urology, 8th ed., vol. 1, pp. 603–630. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Credits

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Author	Ralph Poore
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Michele Cronen
Primary Medical Reviewer	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology/Oncology
Last Updated	January 20, 2006