Information about your procedure from

The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS)

This leaflet contains evidence-based information about your proposed

urological procedure. We have consulted specialist surgeons during its
preparation, so that it represents best practice in UK urology. You should
use it in addition to any advice already given to you.
To view the online version of this leaflet, type the text below into your web
browser:
http://www.baus.org.uk/_userfiles/pages/files/Patients/Leaflets/TURP for cancer.pdf

Key Points
• TURP involves coring out a channel through a malignant
(cancerous) prostate gland
• TURP can improve symptoms, or help you get rid of a bladder
catheter, but it will not improve prostate cancer survival
• A catheter is placed temporarily after the operation to wash out
blood clots
• The most common after-effects are loss of semen emission during
ejaculation and temporary bleeding, burning or urinary frequency

What does this procedure involve?

The prostate gland sits around the water
pipe as it leaves the bladder and, when it
enlarges, it may block the flow of urine
(pictured right).

TURP involves telescopic removal of the

obstructing, central part of the prostate with
diathermy (electric current), creating a wide
channel to allow urine to flow more easily.
We usually insert a temporary bladder
catheter at the end of the operation.

The operation will help you pass urine more easily but will not improve
your prostate cancer survival.

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What are the alternatives?
• Observation – no treatment, but monitoring of any change in your
symptoms over a period of time
• Drugs to improve urine flow – e.g. tamsulosin, doxazosin, terazosin,
finasteride, dutasteride (limited success in obstruction due to
prostate cancer)
• Permanent catheterisation – especially in patients who, for any
reason, are not considered suitable for surgery
• Hormone treatment – injections and/or tablets to shrink the
prostate and reduce the obstruction
• Radiotherapy – given with a catheter in place which prevents
retention of urine (due to radiation-induced prostate swelling)
• Other surgical procedures – including holmium laser enucleation
of the prostate (HoLEP), green-light laser prostatectomy or “open”
surgery

What happens on the day of the procedure?

Your urologist (or a member of their team) will briefly review your history
and medications, and will discuss the surgery again with you to confirm
your consent.

An anaesthetist will see you to discuss the options of a general anaesthetic

or spinal anaesthetic. The anaesthetist will also discuss pain relief after the
procedure with you.

We may provide you with a pair of TED stockings to wear, and we may give
you a heparin injection to thin your blood. These help to prevent blood
clots from developing and passing into your lungs. Your medical team will
decide whether you need to continue these after you go home.

Details of the procedure

• we normally use a general anaesthetic
(where you are asleep) or spinal anaesthetic
(where you are unable to feel anything from
your waist down).
• we usually give you an injection of antibiotics
before the procedure, after you have been
checked for any allergies
• we put a telescope into your bladder through
the urethra (water pipe) and resect the
central part of the prostate a piece at a time using a diathermy
(electric) loop (pictured)

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 • the prostate is resected as small pieces (chippings) which are
evacuated from the bladder by suction and sent for pathology
analysis
• once the prostate has been removed, we carefully cauterise (burn)
any bleeding points in the cavity left by the surgery
• we put a catheter into your bladder at the end of the procedure
• we normally use bladder irrigation through the catheter to flush
through any clots or bleeding
• on average, the procedure takes 45 to 60 minutes to complete
• you should expect to be in hospital for one to three nights

We normally remove your bladder catheter after one to four days. You may
find it painful to pass urine at first and it may come more frequently than
normal. Tablets or injections can help with this, and it usually improves
within a few days.

Your urine may turn bloody for 24 to 48 hours after removal of your
catheter and some patients cannot pass urine at this stage. If this happens,
we put another catheter in, before removing it again 48 hours later.

Further information and a short video of TURP are available on the BAUS
website. You can also learn more about the history of TURP on the website.

Are there any after-effects?

The possible after-effects and your risk of getting them are shown below.
Some are self-limiting or reversible, but others are not. We have not listed
very rare after-effects (occurring in less than 1 in 250 patients) individually.
The impact of these after-effects can vary a lot from patient to patient; you
should ask your surgeon’s advice about the risks and their impact on you as
an individual:

After-effect Risk

Temporary mild burning, bleeding and Almost all

frequent urination patients

No semen is produced because it passes Between 2 in 3 &

back into your bladder on ejaculation 3 in 4 patients
(retrograde ejaculation) (65% to 75%)

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Treatment may not relieve all your Between 1 in 2 &
symptoms 1 in 10 patients

Future recurrence of symptoms due to Between 1 in 2 &

regrowth of your prostate cancer 1 in 10 patients

Infection of the bladder, testicles or kidneys Between 1 in 10 &

requring treatment with antibiotics 1 in 50 patients

Poor erections (in men with previously Between 1 in 10 &

normal erections) 1 in 50 patients

Bleeding requiring a blood transfusion or Between 1 in 10 &

re-operation 1 in 50 patients

Injury to the urethra causing delayed scar Between 1 in 10 &

formation 1 in 50 patients

Inability to pass urine after surgery

Between 1 in 10 &
requiring a catheter or intermittent self-
1 in 50 patients
catheterisation

Loss of urinary control which may be Between 1 in 10 &

temporary or permanent 1 in 50 patients

Irrigating fluids getting into the

Between 1 in 50 &
bloodstream & causing confusion or heart
1 in 250 patients
problems
Anaesthetic or cardiovascular problems Between 1 in 50 &
possibly requiring intensive care (including 1 in 250 patients
chest infection, pulmonary embolus, stroke, (your anaesthetist
deep vein thrombosis, heart attack and can estimate your
death) individual risk)

What is my risk of a hospital-acquired infection?

Your risk of getting an infection in hospital is approximately 8 in 100 (8%);
this includes getting MRSA or a Clostridium difficile bowel infection. This

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figure is higher if you are in a “high-risk” group of patients such as patients
who have had:
• long-term drainage tubes (e.g. catheters);
• bladder removal;
• long hospital stays; or
• multiple hospital admissions.

What can I expect when I get home?

• you will be given advice about your recovery at home
• you will be given a copy of your discharge summary and a copy will
also be sent to your GP
• any antibiotics or other tablets you may need will be arranged &
dispensed from the hospital pharmacy
• you should drink twice as much fluid as you would normally for the
first 24 to 48 hours, to flush your system through and reduce the risk
of infection
• you may return to work when you are comfortable enough and when
your GP is satisfied with your progress
• one patient in five (20%) gets some bleeding 10 to 14 days after
getting home, due to scabs separating from the cavity of the prostate.
If this happens, you should increase your drinking; if it does not
settle, you should contact your GP who will prescribe antibiotics for
you
• if you have severe bleeding, pass blood clots or have sudden difficulty
passing urine, you should contact your GP immediately; this may
need re-admission as an emergency

Some loss of control is common in the early days, so it is helpful to start

pelvic floor exercises as soon as possible; these can improve your control
when you get home. Click the link for further information on these
exercises, or contact your urology Specialist Nurse. The symptoms of an
overactive bladder (frequent & urgent urination) can take up to three
months to settle, whereas the flow of urine is usually improved
immediately.

It will be 14 to 21 days before the final biopsy results on the tissue removed
are available. All biopsies are discussed in detail at a multi-disciplinary
meeting before any further treatment decisions are made. You and your GP
will be informed of the results after this discussion.

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Most patients need two to three weeks at home before they feel ready for
work. We recommend three to four weeks’ rest before you go back to work,
especially if your job is physically demanding; you should avoid any heavy
lifting during the recovery period.

General information about surgical procedures

Before your procedure
Please tell a member of the medical team if you have:
• an implanted foreign body (stent, joint replacement, pacemaker,
heart valve, blood vessel graft);
• a regular prescription for a blood thinning agent (warfarin, aspirin,
clopidogrel, rivaroxaban or dabigatran);
• a present or previous MRSA infection; or
• a high risk of variant-CJD (e.g. if you have had a corneal transplant, a
neurosurgical dural transplant or human growth hormone
treatment).

Questions you may wish to ask

If you wish to learn more about what will happen, you can find a list of
suggested questions called "Having An Operation" on the website of the
Royal College of Surgeons of England. You may also wish to ask your
surgeon for his/her personal results and experience with this procedure.

Before you go home

We will tell you how the procedure went and you should:

• make sure you understand what has been done;

• ask the surgeon if everything went as planned;
• let the staff know if you have any discomfort;
• ask what you can (and cannot) do at home;
• make sure you know what happens next; and
• ask when you can return to normal activities.

We will give you advice about what to look out for when you get home.
Your surgeon or nurse will also give you details of who to contact, and how
to contact them, in the event of problems.

Smoking and surgery

Ideally, we would prefer you to stop smoking before any procedure.
Smoking can worsen some urological conditions and makes complications
more likely after surgery. For advice on stopping, you can:
• contact your GP;

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 • access your local NHS Smoking Help Online; or
• ring the free NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 0 169.

Driving after surgery

It is your responsibility to make sure you are fit to drive after any surgical
procedure. You only need to contact the DVLA if your ability to drive is
likely to be affected for more than three months. If it is, you should check
with your insurance company before driving again.

What should I do with this information?

Thank you for taking the trouble to read this information. Please let your
urologist (or specialist nurse) know if you would like to have a copy for
your own records. If you wish, the medical or nursing staff can also arrange
to file a copy in your hospital notes.

What sources have we used to prepare this leaflet?

This leaflet uses information from consensus panels and other evidence-
based sources including:
• the Department of Health (England);
• the Cochrane Collaboration; and
• the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

It also follows style guidelines from:

• the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB);
• the Information Standard;
• the Patient Information Forum; and
• the Plain English Campaign.

Disclaimer
We have made every effort to give accurate information but there may still
be errors or omissions in this leaflet. BAUS cannot accept responsibility for
any loss from action taken (or not taken) as a result of this information.

PLEASE NOTE
The staff at BAUS are not medically trained, and are unable to answer
questions about the information provided in this leaflet. If you do have
any questions, you should contact your urologist, specialist nurse or GP.

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