Surgery for prostate cancer

There is no doubt about it. Surgery is an invasive procedure. There is evidence that surgery for prostate cancer is rampant in the United States with an increase of 60% between 1984 and 1990. Contrast this with the Watchful Waiting approach used in Europe for the same stage prostate cancer. Recent studies, however, do show a decrease in the number of men having radical prostatectomy procedures.

While the medical community would like to see more incidence of the Watchful Waiting approach, patients find the approach too stressful. Let‘s discuss the actual surgical procedure. It is called a radical prostatectomy and is the complete removal of the prostate as well as tissue nearby.

The procedure can be further described by the incision used to accomplish the procedure. These incisions are:

• Retropubic prostatectomy. The prostate is reached via an incision in the lower abdomen;
• Perineal prostatectomy. The prostate is reached via an incision in the perineum which is the space between the scrotum and the anus.