What does the prostate gland do?

The prostate gland lies just beneath the bladder and is normally about the size of a chestnut. The urethra (water pipe) runs through the middle of the prostate. The main function of the prostate is during your reproductive life. It produces fluid containing chemicals which nourish sperms to help with fertilisation.

What should I do if I have prostate symptoms?

If you have difficulty starting or stopping your urine flow, a weak stream, a feeling that you do not empty your bladder completely, increased frequency and urgency of urine passage by day or night and a tendency to dribble after you have finished, you should contact your GP for further advice.

Prostate enlargement

Prostate enlargement

Your GP will normally review you initially and may supply you with a symptom questionnaire and/or a bladder diary to complete before your appointment.

Referral to a urologist is only indicated if:

• Your symptoms are severe
• Your urine flow is very poor
• Your blood tests (e.g. PSA) are abnormal
• There are any complications of the condition (e.g. chronic retention, urinary infection, bladder stones)

Using the International Prostate Symptoms Score (I-PSS), we have built an online form to assess the severity of your condition, and email the results to us.

Click here to complete the form – it should take less than five minutes.

What happens when I attend the appointment?

We will take history of your problem and undertake clinical examination of your tummy, genitals and the dreaded DRE (finger examination of the prostate through the back passage). It would be a good idea to come with full bladder, so you can do a urine flow test into a receptacle that measures flow rate.

You may also have an ultrasound examination of your prostate using a rectal probe.

What options are available?

1. Medication: There are 2 types of medication, one to relax prostate, one to shrink prostate.
2. Surgery: Transurethral resection of prostate is the gold standard ( coring out inner bit of prostate to relieve the blockage). Others include Holmium laser enucleation of prostate, Bladder neck incision, UROLIFT (stapling of prostate).