A minority of men with prostatitis fail to experience sufficient relief from nonsurgical treatments for prostatitis. One group of men includes those with treatment-resistant chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS; category 3 prostatitis). In addition to the symptoms typically associated with this condition, these men also frequently report depression, fatigue, weakness, malaise, irritable bowel, and cognitive impairment. For these patients, a surgical procedure may be necessary for relief. One such procedure that has proven effective is minimally invasive laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (removal of the prostate).
The results of a study published in April 2011 in UroToday International Journal are an example of successful treatment of treatment-resistant category 3 prostatitis with laparoscopic prostatectomy. Unlike traditional radical prostatectomy, which requires a large incision and a long recovery period, laparoscopic prostatectomy involves tiny incisions, faster recovery, less pain, and less risk of infection.
The study included six men (average age, 48.5 years) with severe, treatment-resistant chronic prostatitis who were part of an ongoing Phase II clinical trial. Prior to surgery, the median Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI) score was 35. By 6 months postsurgery, the score was 10, and by month 12, the CPSI score was 7.5. The study’s authors noted that their results are preliminary, and that laparoscopic radical prostatectomy “should be seen as potentially appropriate as a treatment of last resort for those patients who have failed many other options.” (Krongrad 2011)
Infrequently, surgery may be necessary to treat chronic bacterial prostatitis that does not respond to long-term antibiotic treatment and in men who experience recurring urinary tract infections. Surgery may be performed to remove part of the prostate or to remove infected stones (prostatic calculi). This procedure, called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), involves removing part of the prostate gland through the urethra using a long, thin tube (cystoscope). TURP is not often performed for prostatitis, as it does not always cure the infection and can even make symptoms worse. Read more on TURP
More reading
- What is Prostatitis?
- Symptoms of Prostatitis
- Causes of Prostatitis
- Detecting and Diagnosing Prostatitis
- Newly Diagnosed with Prostatitis
- Preventing Prostatitis
- Treatments for Prostatitis
- Natural And Alternative Treatments for Prostatitis
- Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Prostatitis
- Supplements for Prostatitis (A-Z)
Reference: Krongrad A, Lai S. Laparoscopic prostatectomy for severely symptomatic, treatment-refractory chronic prostatitis: preliminary observations from an ongoing Phase II clinical trial. UroToday Intl J 2011 Apr; 4(2): art 30. doi:10.3834/uij.1944-5784.2011.04.12
