Men monitoring prostate conditions should also be aware that certain medications they are taking for other ailments may make their symptoms worse. Switching to a different prescription may help. Watchful waiting, of course, is not always enough for BPH, and surgery or drug therapy may be required. Several types of surgery can relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. This procedure accounts for more than 90 percent of all BPH surgeries.
TURF relieves symptoms quickly, typically doubling the urinary flow within weeks.
Here is how the surgery is done. The patient is numbed from the waist down with an anesthetic injection known as a spinal block . The surgeon then inserts a slim fiberoptic tube through the penis and up the urethra as far as the prostate. Using either a tiny blade or an electric loop, the surgeon pares away the urethras lining and bits of excess prostate tissue. Gradually the passageway is expanded.