Causes of benign prostate enlargement

The cause of prostate enlargement is unknown, but it's believed to be linked to hormonal changes as a man gets older.

The balance of hormones in your body changes as you get older and this may cause your prostate gland to grow.

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Diagnosing benign prostate enlargement

You might have several different tests to find out if you have an enlarged prostate.

A GP may do some of these tests, such as a urine test, but others might need to be done at a hospital.

Some tests may be needed to rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms to BPE, such as prostate cancer.

Find out more about diagnosing benign prostate enlargement

Treating benign prostate enlargement

Treatment for an enlarged prostate will depend on how severe your symptoms are.

If you have mild symptoms, you do not usually need immediate treatment. Your doctor will agree with you if and when you need more check-ups.

You'll probably be advised to make lifestyle changes, such as:

• drinking less alcohol, caffeine and fizzy drinks

• limiting your intake of artificial sweeteners

• exercising regularly

• drinking less in the evening

Medicine to reduce the size of the prostate and relax your bladder may be recommended to treat moderate to severe symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

Surgery is usually only recommended for moderate to severe symptoms that have not responded to medicine.

Complications of benign prostate enlargement

Benign prostate enlargement can sometimes lead to complications, such as:

• a urinary tract infection (UTI)

• acute urinary retention

Acute urinary retention (AUR) is the sudden inability to pass any urine.

Symptoms of AUR include:

• suddenly not being able to pee at all

• severe lower tummy pain

• swelling of the bladder that you can feel with your hands

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Robotic-assisted radical laparoscopic prostatectomy is accomplished using the da Vinci® Surgical System, a sophisticated robotic surgery system that allows surgeons to operate on the prostate with enhanced vision, control and precision.

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Using the advanced surgical system, miniaturized robotic instruments are passed through several small keyhole incisions in the patient’s abdomen to allow the surgeon to remove the prostate and nearby tissues with great precision. This is much less invasive than a conventional radical retropubic prostatectomy, which involves an abdominal incision that extends from the belly button to the pubic bone.

 

Although this surgery takes approximately 3 hours to perform, patients generally feel much better and have significantly fewer pain requirements in the early operative period. Unlike open surgery where the catheter stays in for two to three weeks, most Robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy patients have their Foley catheters removed on the third day after surgery.

 

What are the advantages of this procedure?

 

Traditional surgery for tumor removal requires an eight-inch incision, at a minimum. The minimally invasive technique requires four or five tiny incisions (of less than half an inch) for the surgical instruments. Robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy offers surgeons unparalleled visualization of the pelvic area, thus permitting precise removal of the prostate. Patients also experience significantly less blood loss.

Additionally, patients benefit from:

• Reduced hospital stay (1½ days average) and faster healing

• Less postoperative pain

• Shorter recovery time

• Quicker return to normal activity (one to two weeks) and work (two to three weeks)

• Smaller incisions and less scarring required to obtain optimal results.

 

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