Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a non-cancerous condition in which the prostate gland has increased in size to the extent that it causes difficulty in urinating. Most men past fifty have an enlarged prostate that causes difficulty in urinating which begins slowly but continues to enlarge where it can completely block urination. Before it develops to this level it is sometimes helped by drugs that will relax the muscles and make it easier to urinate and there are also treatments that reduce the enlargement of the prostate with drugs or natural treatments, but in many cases the enlargement is so great it causes a complete blocking of urination. This can be temporarily helped by a catheter inserted in the penis which allows the urine to flow in a bag that must be worn all the time.

The most effective treatment at this stage is a transurethral resection that surgically removes part of the prostate which almost always is successful. Seldom does a man become impotent or have any other complications from the surgery. There is a newer alternative treatment with an endoscope equipped with a laser that may be used to burn away the prostate tissue. This causes less damage to the nerves and tissues but there is no research on long term consequences. There are other new options of treatment that include the use of a microwave heating element to remove tissue and the use of a balloon to dilate the urethra.

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