Prostate surgery at Spire Liverpool Hospital

At Spire Liverpool Hospital, we pride ourselves on our long-standing reputation as a private hospital that provides high standards of patient care.

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 8 to 10 weeks 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

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

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

Please note we don't offer laser prostate surgery (HoLEP or Greenlight) at Spire Liverpool Hospital.

Coming into hospital

We're only a 15 minute car journey from Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The hospital is approximately four miles from Liverpool Lime Street station in the city centre. 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 may 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.

Prostate surgery takes around 75 minutes. If you've come with a friend or family member, they're welcome to wait in your private room while you have your operation. We also have a waiting area they can use with hot drinks and snacks available to purchase.

After surgery, you may need a urinary catheter until the swelling in your urethra has gone down, allowing you to pass urine normally again. This will be taken out by one of our nurses before you leave hospital – which is usually for two nights after your operation. During your stay, you’ll have your own en-suite room which will have:

• TV
• Window
• Armchair
• En-suite
• Bedside cabinet

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: