Surgery Overview

Simple prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the prostate. This surgery removes much of the prostate, but it may or may not remove all of the prostate. It may be done as an open surgery, a laparoscopic surgery, or as a laparoscopic surgery with robotic assistance.

Simple prostatectomy is not done very often for benign enlargement of the prostate. It may be recommended if:

• You have a very large prostate.
• You have bladder diverticula (pouches in the wall of the bladder) or bladder stones.
• Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is not possible for another reason.

What To Expect

You will likely stay in the hospital for 1 or more days after surgery. A catheter is left in your bladder to drain your urine for 1 to 2 weeks. Most people can go back to their usual routine in about 2 weeks and fully recover in 4 weeks.

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Why It Is Done

Simple prostatectomy usually is used for men who want surgery to treat their benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms and who have very enlarged prostates.

How Well It Works

Simple prostatectomy almost always improves symptoms.

Risks

The risks of simple prostatectomy include:

• The possible need for a blood transfusion.
• Ejaculation of semen into the bladder instead of out through the penis (retrograde ejaculation).
• An inability to have sexual intercourse because of erection problems.
• A strong urge to urinate, which can also cause leaking of urine. This usually gets better within weeks or months.
• Complete or partial inability to hold back urine (incontinence).