When to Get Prostate Surgery Done?

Feb 27 , 2017 | 1 min read

While medications help many men with an enlarged prostate surgery -- also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), however, they may not always be effective in relieving symptoms. The Next Step in Enlarged Prostate Treatment is minimally invasive and surgical procedures.

These are available to treat moderate-to-severe enlarged prostate symptoms that are bothersome. These procedures are also used if tests show that urinary function is seriously affected. Surgery is usually recommended in treating BPH-related complications, such as:

Urinary retention (inability to urinate)
Failure to respond to medical or minimally invasive treatment
Blood in the urine that is not getting better
Gallbladder stones
Frequent urinary tract infections
Kidney damage

When to get the surgery for enlarged prostate done’ is the question most seniors face. As you discuss the options, ask your doctor these five questions:

Is there a good chance my condition will improve?
How much will it improve?
What are the chances of side effects from a treatment?
How long will the effects last?
Will I need to have this treatment repeated?

Longer Delays Could Double Risk

While delaying surgery for up to six months was not associated with an increased risk of recurrence, delaying treatment longer appeared to more than double the recurrence risk. This doesn't necessarily mean that all low-risk prostate cancer patients who wait longer than six months to get treated have a worse prognosis than those treated earlier.

Choose Treatment, Doctor Carefully

The study should reassure prostate cancer patients that they can take their time to choose the best treatment for them, but that should not take more than six months. Dr. Anupam Bhargava advises that it is not right to wait longer for the treatment unless the patient is older and decides not to get treated at all.

Patients absolutely should take the time to fully understand the different treatment options and the side effects associated with those treatments. Another important consideration is the experience of the treating surgeon or radiologist.