Summary
As men age, the prostate starts enlarging, making it difficult to urinate. The medical term for enlarged prostate gland is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Symptoms of BPH include non-emptiness in the bladder even after urinating and unstreamed urine flow. BPH is quite common, with some studies claiming that upto one-third of men report moderate to severe symptoms of BPH by the age of 60.
In some cases, prostate enlargement can happen due to multiplication of cells that turn malignant, resulting in Prostate Cancer.
What is Prostate?
The prostate is a very small sized reproductive gland that usually weighs near 30 gms and sits just under the bladder, near the urethra. The prostate is found only in men. It excretes a fluid that contributes 30% of the semen. It protects the sperm for a longer life span and makes thick sperms thin to make it flow smoothly and able to fertilize the egg more efficiently.
What causes prostate enlargement or cancer?
In some people, the tissue around the prostate or the prostate cells themselves start multiplying. This causes the prostate to become enlarged. When the multiplying cells are malignant, it results in prostate cancer.
Symptoms / when to call your doctor
Some of the symptoms are:
Frequent urination
Urgency in urination
Incontinence
Blood in semen
Erectile dysfunction
Why you should see a doctor?
If you experience any of the symptoms of prostate enlargement, you should see a doctor immediately. Ignoring the symptoms may lead to:
Urinary tract infection
Kidney and bladder damage
Kidney stones
If the cause is cancer, leaving it untreated can be life threatening
How is it diagnosed?
To diagnose an enlarged prostate, the doctor may recommend:
Blood tests
Urine tests
Digital rectal exam
Dietary Restrictions
After the surgery, you should eat foods that are easy on the digestive system. Eating small, frequent meals helps.
Some of the foods that you can include in the diet are:
Soups and juices
High fibre food
Fruits and vegetables
Low fat food is advised
Avoid fried, sugary and processed food
Treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
The doctor will recommend the required treatment based on the findings from the tests and examinations. In case just medication isn’t sufficient to treat the condition, the doctor might recommend a surgical procedure. The aim of the surgery is to remove the central glandular part of prostate which relieves obstruction of the urethra.
There are a few different types of surgical procedures for treating BPH:
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)
Procedure Flow
TURP involves insertion of a slender instrument (resectoscope) is inserted up the urethra. An electrical current is passed through the resectoscope’s wire loop to shave away sections of enlarged prostate. Shaved prostate tissue is flushed into the bladder and removed through the resectoscope. TURP is the most common surgery for BPH, accounting for 9 out of 10 procedures.
Recovery Time and Dietary Advice:
2-3 day hospital stay
Resume normal routine after 2-6 weeks, depending on your job profile
A catheter is placed for 1-2 days
Drink plenty of water after surgery (about 8 glasses per day)
Eat high fibre foods, avoid constipation
Risks involved in the treatment:
While the procedure is generally safe, it does carry certain risks.
Allergic reaction to anaesthesia
Short term nausea or vomiting
Painful urination that can last for a few weeks
Temporary sexual dysfunction
Transurethral Incision of the Prostate (TUIP)
Procedure Flow
TURP involves using a resectoscope to make small incisions around the prostate and neck of the bladder. This releases the narrowing at the bladder neck and enlarges the urethra. No prostate tissue is removed. TUIP is suitable for men with smaller prostate enlargements.
Recovery Time and Dietary Advice:
2-3 day hospital stay
Resume normal routine after 2-6 weeks, depending on your job profile
A catheter is placed for 1-2 days
Drink plenty of water after surgery (about 8 glasses per day)
Eat high fibre foods, avoid constipation
Risks involved in the treatment:
While the procedure is generally safe, it does carry certain risks.
Allergic reaction to anaesthesia
Short term nausea or vomiting
Painful urination that can last for a few weeks
Temporary sexual dysfunction
Laser Surgery
Procedure Flow
During prostate laser surgery, a scope is inserted through the tip of penis into the tube that carries urine from the bladder (urethra). Laser is passed through the scope to deliver energy (through concentrated light and heat) to remove excess tissue that is preventing the urine flow.
While there are a few different types of laser surgeries available for treating BPH, the exact treatment is best determined by the doctor.
Laser surgery has various advantages over other methods of treating BPH, namely
Shorter stay - 24 hour hospitalization for most cases
Faster recovery
Lower risk of bleeding
Most cases do not require using a catheter beyond 1-2 days
More immediate results
Risks involved in the treatment:
A laser surgery involves similar risks as other BPH procedures.
Treatment for Prostate Cancer
In case of cancerous growth of prostate, the doctor might recommend partial or complete removal of the prostate, also known as prostatectomy.
Types of surgeries:
| Specifics | Radical Prostatectomy - Robot-assisted | Radical Prostatectomy - Open Surgery | Radical Prostatectomy - Laparoscopic | Simple Prostatectomy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incision | Small | 8-10 inch | Small | 8-10 inch |
| Blood Loss | Less | High | Less | High |
| Recovery time | Faster | Longer | Faster | Longer |
| Invasive | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Radical Prostatectomy
Radical prostatectomy is done to completely remove the prostate gland along with the surrounding tissues.
Robotic Radical Prostatectomy
In this procedure, a tiny robot is inserted through an incision to remove the prostate.
Flow of the procedure:
Patient is given general anaesthesia for the procedure
Small incisions are made in the abdomen
A tiny robot is inserted into the incision
The camera footage is visible on a screen which guides the doctor to perform the surgery
The prostate is removed through one of the incisions
The incisions are taped and the patient is taken to the recovery room
Recovery Time and Dietary Advice:
1- 3 days hospital stay with mild pain
Resume to normal routine after 2-3 weeks
Simple, bland, nutritious, fibre rich food
There are very less complications through this treatment. Some of the risks may be:
Some of the risks of the procedure may be:
allergic or adverse reaction to anaesthesia or other drugs
bleeding
infection
injury to adjacent organs
urinary incontinence
erectile dysfunction
Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy
In this procedure, a camera is inserted through a small incision made in the abdomen though which the prostate is removed.
Flow of the procedure:
Patient is given general anaesthesia for the procedure
Small incisions are made in the abdomen
A tiny camera is inserted into the incision
The camera footage is visible on a screen which guides the doctor to perform the surgery
The prostate is removed through one of the incisions
The incisions are taped and the patient is taken to the recovery room
Recovery Time and Dietary Advice:
1- 3 days hospital stay with mild pain
Resume to normal routine after 2-3 weeks
Simple, bland, nutritious, fibre rich food
There are very less complications through this treatment. Some of the risks may be:
Some of the risks of the procedure may be:
allergic or adverse reaction to anaesthesia or other drugs
bleeding
infection
injury to adjacent organs
urinary incontinence
erectile dysfunction
bowel injury
Open Radical Prostatectomy
This is an open surgery in which the prostate is removed directly from a large incision made in the lower abdomen.
Flow of the procedure:
Patient is given general anaesthesia for the procedure
A large incision is made in the abdomen
The doctor reaches into the lower abdomen and removed the prostate
The incision is sutured and the patient is taken into the recovery room
Recovery Time and Dietary Advice:
2- 3 days hospital stay
Resume to normal routine after 2-4 weeks
Simple, bland, nutritious, fibre rich food
Risks involved in the treatment:
Some of the risks of the procedure may be:
allergic or adverse reaction to anaesthesia or other drugs
bleeding
infection of the cut
injury to adjacent organs
urinary incontinence
narrowing of the urethra
Simple Prostatectomy
This procedure is used to remove only parts of the prostate through a large incision made in the lower abdomen.
Flow of the procedure:
Patient is given general anaesthesia for the procedure
A large cut is made in the abdomen
The doctor removes parts of the prostate through the cut
The cut is sutured and the patient is taken to the recovery room
Recovery Time and Dietary Advice:
Hospital stay of 2-4 days or longer
Resume normal day routine after 6 weeks
Light food which can be easily digested
Avoid foods that make you gassy like cauliflower, broccoli, beans etc
Risks involved in the treatment:
The procedure involves a large cut. So, some of the risks may be:
Injury to surrounding organs
Infection
Excessive bleeding
Breathing difficulties
Heart attack or stroke during surgery
Blood clots related to the longer recovery period after open surgery
Risks of general anaesthesia
