BPH Grade 2 Treatment

What happens in a BPH Grade 2 surgery?

Diagnosis

Before surgery, your urologist will perform a series of simple and commonly performed diagnostic tests to assess your overall health and uncover any medical conditions you may have that could require additional precautions and care either during surgery or in the recovery period. Your urologist will ask you about your surgical history, medical history and symptoms you are facing. It is important to answer these questions to the best of your ability. Some diagnostic tests that your urologist may perform include: 

• Digital rectal examination: A digital rectal examination is a simple test that your urologist may perform to examine and determine the size of your prostate gland. In a digital rectal examination, the urologist will insert a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum and physically feel the prostate gland to determine its shape and size. 
• PSA test: A prostate specific antigen test is a simple blood test that your urologist may perform to evaluate the PSA levels present in your blood. If the PSA levels in your blood exceed 2.5 ng/mL, it is likely that you have some degree of prostate enlargement. 
• Urine analysis: A urine analysis is a simple test that is usually performed to assess different aspects of your overall health. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, UTI or kidney disease, this test will let your urologist know about them. 
• Transrectal ultrasound: A transrectal ultrasound is an imaging test that will allow your urologist to visualise and accurately assess the shape and size of your prostate gland and also check for any other abnormalities that may be causing blockage of urine. 
• Urodynamics tests: Urodynamics tests are a series of simple tests that allow your urologist to understand how well your urinary bladder and urethra hold and release urine. 

Treatment

While surgery is an effective treatment for reducing symptoms of BPH, it is not always necessary especially in earlier stages of the condition (Grade-1 and Grade-2). Before going forward with a surgery, your urologist may recommend some medications to relieve symptoms of BPH. Non-surgical treatment for BPH generally includes medications such as alpha blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors or tadalafil. However, if these medications fail to respond and urinary symptoms continue to persist even after 5-6 months of taking them, your urologist may recommend surgery. Primarily 3 methods of performing a BPH surgery are: 

• TURP: TURP or Transurethral Resection of the Prostate is a minimally invasive procedure that is commonly performed to treat symptoms of BPH. In a TURP procedure, the urologist inserts a thin, tube-like instrument, called a resectoscope, into the urethra through the opening at the tip of your penis. This resectoscope is fitted with a surgical tool at its end that your surgeon can use to cut away or remove pieces of the enlarged prostate. The surgeon will slowly pass the resectoscope through the urethra to reach the prostate gland. Once in place, the surgeon can use the surgical tool to cut away pieces of enlarged prostate tissue. Once some of the pressure being exerted on the urethra is relieved, the surgeon will remove the resectoscope and you will be taken to a recovery area. The pieces of prostate tissue will be removed later on through the urethra.
• HoLEP: HoLEP or Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate is another surgical procedure that is often performed to reduce symptoms of prostate enlargement. A HoLEP surgery follows the same procedure as a TURP surgery. In the case of HoLEP however, it uses a holmium laser to enucleate the enlarged prostate tissue instead of surgical tools to cut away pieces of the prostate. HoLEP is a more advanced method of treatment as compared to TURP as well.
• TUIP: A Transurethral Incision of the Prostate (TUIP) surgery is a minimally invasive method of treating urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate. A TUIP procedure is generally recommended to younger men who are concerned about fertility. Similar to the other two procedures, TUIP also uses a resectoscope that will be passed through your urethra using the small opening at the tip of your penis. Once the resectoscope is in place, instead of chipping away pieces of enlarged prostate tissue like TURP and HoLEP, the surgeon makes very tiny incisions at the area where the prostate and the urinary bladder connect. This helps in widening the urethra and allows urine to pass more easily.  

Benefits of BPH Grade 2 treatment

Treating benign prostate enlargement at an early stage can bring several benefits such as:

• A BPH surgery helps in significantly reducing some of the urinary symptoms that are caused by an enlarged prostate. 
• Severe cases of prostate enlargement can cause complications to a person’s overall health such as formation of bladder stones, kidney stones, kidney damage or UTI. Treating BPH at an early stage can prevent these complications.
• A timely BPH Grade 2 Treatment can make it more likely that you will be able to return to your daily life without any major postoperative side-effects or complications.