Prostate surgery and laser prostate surgery at Spire London East Hospital

Spire London East Hospital is a well-established private hospital delivering comprehensive treatments and care to our patients in east and central London and Essex.

We have a team of expert urologists who specialise in men’s health and have wide experience of performing prostate surgery. Working alongside an excellent aftercare team, they’ll provide you with a treatment and recovery plan that’s tailored to your needs.

We offer fast access to consultations and treatments, in a clean, comfortable environment. The typical waiting time from diagnosis by your consultant (or a referral) to receiving prostate surgery is five days.

Your consultant will assess the condition of your prostate, your general health and your intended outcome in order to recommend the most appropriate treatment for you.

Our consultants offer a variety of treatments for benign prostate enlargement.

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

Laser prostate surgery

• A specialised tool is passed through your urethra and a laser (eg a HoLEP Holmium laser or GreenLight laser) which generates intense heat is used to trim small pieces of prostate tissue
• Performed under general anaesthetic
• You usually need a urinary catheter for around one to three days after the operation, but it may be for a shorter time than with a TURP

Water ablation

• Water or steam under pressure is used to destroy prostate tissue
• Performed using general or spinal anaesthetic
• You’ll need a urinary catheter for a short time after
• You may be able to leave the same day

Your consultant will explain the potential benefits and complications of each procedure before you decide to go ahead.

Getting here

We're located just a couple of miles from the M11 and only 20 minutes on the Central line tube to the city of London via Redbridge station. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultation

You’ll meet your chosen consultant in one of our private consultation rooms. They’ll discuss:

• Your symptoms and any particular urinary problems you’re having
• What the treatment options are, including alternatives to surgery such as medication and lifestyle changes
• Whether you need any tests or scans to help your consultant plan the next steps
• The potential benefits and risks of treatment

You may also need a pre-operative assessment with one of our specialist nurses to check if the procedure is right for you.

Prostate surgery takes from one to three hours. If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in our lounge while you have your operation.

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 to three nights after your operation. During your stay, you’ll have your own en-suite room which will have:

• Freeview TV
• En-suite
• Window
• Armchair
• Wardrobe
• WiFi
• Table

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: