Prostate surgery and laser prostate surgery at Spire Little Aston Hospital

At Spire Little Aston Hospital, we provide comprehensive treatments and care from our comfortable private hospital in Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham city centre.

Our urologists are specialists in men’s health and have expertise in prostate surgery. Our dedicated nurses will provide you with expert aftercare, to help you get back to your usual activities as soon as possible.

You can expect fast access to diagnostic tests and scans, consultations and treatments. It usually takes 10 days from referral or diagnosis by your consultant to having prostate surgery.

We have a range of procedures available for prostate surgery. All have their own potential benefits and risks which your consultant will discuss with you.

The type of anaesthetic you need varies depending on the procedure you need. It may be:

• A general anaesthetic meaning you’re asleep – this is most often used
• A spinal or epidural – where you can’t feel anything from the waist down
• A local anaesthetic – you’ll be awake but you won’t be able to feel anything in the area being operated on

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)

• A special instrument is passed through your urethra and a small, electrically-heated wire is used to trim small pieces of prostate tissue
• Performed under general anaesthetic
• You’ll need a urinary catheter for around one to three days after the operation

Transurethral electrovaporisation of the prostate (TUVP)

• Similar to TURP, but a rollerball instead of a wire loop is used to apply electrical energy to the tissue
• Performed under general or spinal anaesthetic
• A catheter is still required, but may be for a shorter time than TURP

Laser prostate surgery

• A specialised tool is passed through your urethra and a laser (eg a HoLEP Holmium laser or GreenLight laser) which generates intense heat is used to trim small pieces of prostate tissue
• Performed under general anaesthetic
• You usually need a urinary catheter for around one to two days after the operation, but it may be for a shorter time than with a TURP

UroLift (prostatic urethral lift (PUL) implants)

• Instead of removing prostate tissue, implants are positioned to hold your prostate out of the way and increase the width of your urethra
• This procedure can be performed under general or local anaesthetic
• Usually, a urinary catheter isn’t required

Prostate artery embolisation (PAE)

• Shrinks the size of your prostate by blocking the arteries that feed it
• Performed using local anaesthetic
• A urinary catheter isn’t usually required

Water ablation

• Water or steam under pressure is used to destroy prostate tissue
• Performed using general or spinal anaesthetic
• You’ll need a urinary catheter, usually until you leave the day after

Your consultant will recommend a treatment based on your condition and overall health.

Coming into hospital

You can find us just to the north of Sutton Coldfield. We're a short 25 minute drive from Birmingham city centre. Birmingham New Street is the nearest mainline train station to Spire Little Aston Hospital, and Blake Street train station is the closest station to the hospital. There’s free parking available for you and your visitors.

Meeting your consultant

You’ll meet your consultant in one of our consultation rooms. You’ll discuss:

• Your symptoms and medical history
• If your consultant requires any additional tests or scans to help plan your treatment
• Alternative treatments or lifestyle changes which may help
• What the treatment involves and procedure options
• Potential benefits and risks of prostate surgery

You will also need a pre-operative assessment with a specialist nurse before going ahead with treatment. This is to ensure you're fit and well enough for surgery.

You’ll usually stay with us for one to two nights so you’ll be shown to your own en-suite room before your operation. All of our private rooms have:

• TV
• En-suite
• Window
• Armchair
• Telephone
• Patient information booklet

The procedure lasts for 45 to 90 minutes. If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in our coffee lounge and restaurant while you have your operation.

You may need a urinary catheter after the operation. This is because your urethra may be swollen which can block urine from passing. It will be removed before you leave hospital.

As expected after surgery, you’ll feel some pain afterwards. Our nurses will help you manage this by giving you painkillers and advice about what over-the-counter medicines you can take after you leave hospital.

Although the recovery time varies depending on the procedure you've had and your overall health, here’s a guide to recovery timeline for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) – the most common procedure: