Simple prostate removal is a surgery to remove all or part of the prostate gland through a surgical cut in your lower belly, to treat an enlarged prostate.

See also:

• Benign prostatic hypertrophy
• Prostate resection - minimally invasive
• Transurethral resection of the prostate

You will be given general anesthesia (asleep, pain-free) or spinal anesthesia (sedated, awake, pain-free). The procedure takes about 2 to 4 hours.

Your surgeon will make an incision (cut) in your lower belly, from below the belly button to just above the penis. The prostate gland is removed through this cut.

Often, the surgeon removes only the inner part of the prostate gland. The outer portion is left behind (similar to scooping out the inside of an orange). After removing part of your prostate, the surgeon will close the outer shell of the prostate with stitches A drain may be left in your belly to help remove extra fluids after surgery.

An enlarged prostate can cause problems with urinating and urinary tract infections. Removing part of the prostate gland can often make these symptoms better. Before you have surgery, your doctor will suggest you make changes in how you eat or drink. You may also be asked to try taking medicine.

Prostate removal can be performed many different ways, depending on the size of the prostate and what caused your prostate to grow.

Prostate removal may be recommended if you have:

• Difficulty emptying your bladder (urinary retention)
• Frequent urinary tract infections
• Frequent bleeding from the prostate
• Bladder stones with prostate enlargement
• Extremely slow urination
• Damage to the kidneys

Your prostate may also need to be removed if taking medicine and changing your diet do not help your symptoms.

You may have open prostatectomy, if your prostate is very large or your doctor thinks or confirms that you have cancer. You may also have this procedure if you have other problems, such as stones or bladder damage.