Urologist Questions

prostate

Does the urethra have its own lining to separate it from the prostate? If yes, how can the TURP method remove part of the prostate through the penis? It appears that you would have to destroy the lining of the urethra to remove any part of the prostate.

Male | 75 years old

3 Answers

Great question. Although the urethra is continuous from the bladder to the tip of the penis inside the prostate its more of just a lining. Picture it as a carpet overlying the prostate gland. When you resect it, yes, you are removing the urethral lining. It starts to reline itself within days and eventually has a complete new lining. Like removing carpet, lowering the floor, then laying in new carpet.
Yes, the urethral lining within the prostatic portion of the urethra is removed during a standard TURP procedure.
During a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) procedure, the urethra is removed one piece at a time using an electrical wire loop that cuts tissue and seals blood vessels