Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)/Urinary Retention
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. Roughly the size of a walnut, the prostate is situated below the bladder and surrounds the urethera (a tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis). As a man ages, his prostate enlarges, and it can squeeze down on his urethra. This process is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is quite common, affecting roughly 50% of men between ages 50 and 60.
The squeezing down of the urethra caused by BPH can lead to bothersome urinary symptoms for the patient. A man might experience difficulty starting his urinary stream, develop weakness of his stream, have dribbling of his stream, and/or need to start up and stop his stream multiple times until his bladder is emptied. Collectively, these symptoms are referred to as obstructive. In addition, a man might wake multiple times at night to urinate; he might feel as though he needs to urinate every 2 hours or so during the daytime; or he might feel as though he cannot postpone his urination once the urge for it arises. These are all called irritative symptoms.
Treatment for the symptoms of BPH is initiated when its associated symptoms are bothersome to the patient. There are a variety of medical therapies available for BPH, which can be broadly categorized into alpha blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Surgery is recommended in those men who fail these medical therapies, or those men who are unable to urinate, have kidney damage, urinary tract infections, significant bleeding from the prostate, or urinary stones in the bladder. Surgery can be accomplished in several ways, all of which involve removing excess prostate tissue. Commonly transurethral resection or laser ablation is performed. In both, a telescopic instrument is placed through the tip of the penis into the patient's bladder to facilitate this, while he is asleep under anesthesia. These procedures involve no incisions, so hospital stays are short.
| Service Name | Appointment |
|---|---|
| Urology - Adult | |
| General Urology | A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center | 734-936-7030 |
| Brighton Health Center | 734-936-7030 |
| Livonia Center for Specialty Care | 734-936-7030 |
| Male Reconstructive and Incontinence - A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center | 734-936-7030 |
