What happens during TURP

A transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is carried out in hospital under anaesthetic. You'llusually need to stay in hospital for one to three days.

Preparing for surgery

You'll usually be asked to attenda pre-admission appointment a few weeks before your operation soa doctor or nursecan make sure the operation is suitable for you and that you're well enough to have an anaesthetic.

This may involve tests such as Blood tests and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your general health. An ECG is a simple test to check the electrical activity of your heart.

You can also use this appointmentas an opportunity to ask any questions about the procedure anddiscuss any concerns you have.

Make sure you tell your doctor or nurse ifyou're currently taking medication to prevent blood clots, such as aspirin , warfarin or clopidogrel . These medications couldcause heavy bleeding during surgery, so you may be advised to stop taking them in the lead-up to your operation.

If you smoke, you should try to cut down or give up completely before youroperation, as thiscan help reduce your risk of potentially serious complications such as chest infections and blood clots .

Depending on the results of your pre-admission assessment, you may begivencompression stockingsto help prevent blood clots.

Just before the operation is carried out, you'll be given an anaesthetic to stop you feeling any pain during the procedure. The type of anaesthetic used may be either:

• a general anaesthetic this meansyou'll be unconscious throughout the procedure
• a spinalor epidural anaesthetic this means you'll beawake during the procedure, but won't be able to feel anything below your waist

The operation

ATURP is usually carried out using a device called a resectoscope. This is a thin metal tube containing a light,camera andloop of wire.

The surgeon will insert the resectoscope into your urethra (the tube that carries urine out ofthe body) before guiding it to the site of your prostate with the help of the light and the camera.

An electric current is used to heat the loop of wire, and this is used to cut away a section of your prostate. Afterthe procedure, a catheter (a thin, flexible tube)is used to pump fluid into the bladder and flush away pieces of prostate that have been removed.

ATURPcan take up to an hourto perform, depending on how much of your prostate needs to be removed.

Once theprocedure has been completed, you'll be moved back to your hospital ward so you can recover. The catheter will be left in place for a few days until you're able to urinate normally.

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