The incidence of prostate enlargement, both benign and malignant, is increasing. This is inseparable from changes in lifestyle, increasing public awareness about health, and easy access to health services, especially in the field of urology. The term prostate enlargement is still a bit unfamiliar in our society, compared to other diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, or diabetes. But it turns out that prostate enlargement is experienced by many men, especially men over 50 years old. According to data from the European Urological Association, as many as 40% of men over 50 years old have an enlarged prostate, this figure increases to 90% for men over 90 years old. In other words, 4 out of 10 men over 50 years old suffer from an enlarged prostate. This is certainly a cause for concern, as usually the age of 50 is when a man should be enjoying the good times of retirement.Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

The prostate is an accessory sexual gland that every man has. As we age the prostate gland can become enlarged. It is important to know that prostate enlargement can be benign or malignant (prostate cancer). They are two different diseases, with much different treatments. This time we will discuss more about benign prostate enlargement. How does benign prostate enlargement occur? The exact cause of prostate enlargement is unclear. Various theories have attempted to explain the cause of prostate enlargement, with the androgen/testosterone theory and the embryonal cell theory being the most widely held. The androgen theory posits hormonal factors as the cause of prostate enlargement.Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Prostate enlargement can cause symptoms that greatly interfere with a person's quality of life. An enlarged prostate causes the flow of urine from the bladder to be obstructed, so the symptoms felt by patients are usually difficulty urinating (BAK). These include: frequent urination, frequent waking up to urinate during sleep (2 or more times), having to strain during urination, difficulty starting to urinate (often patients have to wait a long time for urine to come out), weak urine output, dripping urine, and incontinent urine. You can imagine how disruptive these symptoms are.

Prostate enlargement can cause symptoms that greatly interfere with a person's quality of life. An enlarged prostate causes the flow of urine from the bladder to be obstructed, so the symptoms felt by patients are usually difficulty urinating (BAK). These include: frequent urination, frequent waking up to urinate during sleep (2 or more times), having to strain during urination, difficulty starting to urinate (often patients have to wait a long time for urine to come out), weak urine output, dripping urine, and incontinent urine. You can imagine how disruptive these symptoms are.

When a patient presents with the above complaints, a urologist will perform a series of examinations to diagnose and treat them, after first determining whether there are signs of prostate malignancy. It is also important to note that not all prostate enlargements cause symptoms, and conversely, the symptoms of difficulty urinating are not necessarily caused by an enlarged prostate. Therefore, examination by a doctor is very important to determine the cause and the best treatment. Treatment of benign prostate enlargement is tailored to the degree of severity, the presence or absence of accompanying complications, existing comorbidities, available facilities/tools, and the patient's wishes. Surgery is not always the treatment of choice. Benign prostate enlargement without complications can be treated with medication and lifestyle modifications alone. If there are other complaints such as impotence, the Urology specialist will also treat these complaints. In general, surgery is only performed if there is an indication, that is, if complications have arisen, failed with medication, or the patient's own wishes.

As the field of medicine has advanced, so have surgical techniques for the prostate. In the past, surgeons had to make an incision in the skin to remove the enlarged prostate. This kind of surgery is psychologically traumatizing for the patient due to the pain, long treatment time, incision scars, or surgical complications that may occur. Nowadays, most prostate surgeries are performed using endoscopic techniques, namely: Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP). With this technique, the Urologist does not cut the skin, after the patient is anesthetized an endoscope is inserted through the patient's urethra and the prostate is removed. The advantages of this technique include: no incision marks, shorter hospital stay, lower complication rate, and less pain. The surgery takes approximately 1 hour, and the patient is usually discharged on the third or fourth day.

Finally, prostate enlargement is a common problem in men over 50 years of age and can impair quality of life if left untreated. Treatment is not always surgical. Even if surgery is required, incisionless techniques such as TURP can be performed relatively safely, comfortably and effectively.