However, the TURP is a surgical procedure with potential risks and complications such as bleeding, impotence and incontinence. To decrease hospitalization costs and recuperation time from work, alternative therapies are being developed and introduced by the urologic community. In current practice, it is still applied to patients with large prostates, prostates with a middle lobe or to patients who have other condition that requires an open operations such as the removal of stones in the bladder. Since it is a formal operation, patients are subjected to the usual risk and complications of an open pelvic operation requiring anesthesia. In addition, their hospitalization is longer and recuperation with a catheter and from normal activity is longer.
Patients have a scar from their surgical incision.
The procedure is performed by making a simple deep cut or incision along the entire length of the prostate to split it open. This allows the circular muscle fibers running around the prostate to spring open and increase urinary flow by opening the prostatic urinary channel. TUIP is ideally suited for smaller prostates and has a lower incidence of ejaculation abnormalities. In appropriately selected patients with relatively small and anatomically appropriate prostates, the success rates for TUIP are similar to TURP with the advantage that hospital stays and recovery are much shorter. The technique involves the application of a simple, specially designed grooved rollerball electrode that allows the surgeon to channel open the urethra that is blocked by the prostate tissue.