Your doctor may recommend watchful waiting, especially if the symptoms are mild and do not interfere with your daily life. Watchful waiting involves monitoring for signs of worsening symptoms without any treatment.
Medications called alpha-blockers (e.g., terazosin*, alfuzosin, tamsulosin, silodosin) can help relax the bladder outlet, allowing easier passage of urine, especially if the obstruction of the urethra isn't too severe. Other medications (e.g., dutasteride, finasteride) help reduce the size of the prostate.
These medications can remove the need for surgery in many people with BPH. However, surgery is the only way to eliminate the problem completely. The most commonly used technique is called a TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate), which can be used for most cases except those with extremely large prostate glands. A tube equipped with a camera and a loop is inserted into the urethra (the tube that runs the length of the penis and back to the bladder) to remove strips of enlarged prostate. TURP causes fewer postoperative problems than open surgery, which involves an abdominal incision and the risk of blood transfusion.
Other techniques like TUIP (transurethral incision of the prostate), laser prostatectomy, and radiofrequency ablation aim to reduce the size of the prostate, often with fewer side effects than TURP. Only a specialist can decide which technique is most appropriate in each case.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®). The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen). A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article lists medications by their common names. For information on a given medication, check our Drug Information database. For more information on brand names, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2019. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/Benign-Prostatic-Hyperplasia