Surgery

Surgery is considered the most effective treatment for BPH and is used in men with severe symptoms that persist after other treatments are tried or in men who have suffered complications of BPH (as mentioned above). Surgery is usually done through the urethra, leaving no scars and is called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).  As an alternative to TURP, more minimally invasive, although probably less long-term, treatments are also available. Finally, surgery can also involve open or laparoscopic (keyhole) prostatectomy - the surgical removal of part or all of the prostate.