What you can expect

You'll receive either a general anesthetic, which will put you to sleep, or an anesthetic that blocks feeling from the waist down (spinal block).

During the procedure

Your doctor might put numbing gel inside your urethra and might numb the prostate area with an injection given through your rectum.

Once the anesthetic is working, your doctor will insert a resectoscope into the tip of your penis and extend it to the prostate area. The resectoscope has a lens or camera, a cutting device, and valves to release fluid to wash the surgery area. Using the resectoscope, the doctor makes one or two cuts (incisions) on the inner surface of the prostate.

After the procedure

You might have TUIP on an outpatient basis or you might need to stay overnight in the hospital for observation.

You will likely have a urinary catheter in place because of swelling that blocks urine flow. The catheter is generally removed after 1 to 3 days. You'll also likely take antibiotics to prevent a urinary tract infection.

You might notice:

• Blood in the urine. This typically lasts a few days.
• Irritating urinary symptoms. You might feel an urgent or frequent need to urinate, or you might have to get up more often during the night to urinate. Most men experience burning, especially at the tip of the penis and near the end of urination. These symptoms generally last a few days.
• Difficulty holding urine.The loss of bladder control (incontinence) can occur because your bladder is used to having to push urine through a urethra narrowed by enlarged prostate tissue. For most men, this issue improves with time.
• Urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infections are a possible complication after any enlarged prostate procedure. The risk of infection increases the longer you have a catheter in place.