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Prostate removal - Risks

Alternative Names

Prostatectomy; Suprapubic prostatectomy; Transurethral resection of the prostate; TURP; Open prostatectomy; Laser prostatectomy; Transurethral needle ablation; TUNA

Risks:

Risks for any anesthesia are:

Reactions to medications
Problems breathing

Risks for any surgery are:

Bleeding
Infection

Other risks include:

Difficulty getting and keeping an erection (impotence)
Infertility
Passing the semen into the bladder instead of out through the urethra (retrograde ejaculation)
Problems with urine control (incontinence)
Urethral stricture

Complications depend on the type of surgery you have.

Male reproductive anatomy

Prostate gland

Prostatectomy - series

TURP - series

Reviewed last on: 9/7/2008
Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Kirby R, Lepor H. Evaluation and Nonsurgical Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007; chap 87.

Roehrborn CG, McConnell JD. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Etiology, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, and Natural History. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007; chap 86.

Fitzpatrick JM. Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007; chap 88.

Mattiasson A, Wagrell L, Schelin S, Nordling J, Richthoff J, Magnusson B, et al. Five-year follow-up of feedback microwave thermotherapy versus TURP for critical BPH, a prospective randomized multicenter study. Urology. 2007;69:91-96.

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