Prostatectomy

Prostatectomy (from the Greek προστάτης prostátēs, 'prostate' and ἐκτομή ektomē, 'excision') as a medical term refers to the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as for prostate cancer and for other cancers of the pelvis. Prostatectomy (from the Greek προστάτης prostátēs, 'prostate' and ἐκτομή ektomē, 'excision') as a medical term refers to the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as for prostate cancer and for other cancers of the pelvis. There are two main types of prostatectomies. A simple prostatectomy (also known as a subtotal prostatectomy) involves the removal of only part of the prostate. Surgeons typically carry out simple prostatectomies only for benign conditions. A radical prostatectomy, the removal of the entire prostate gland, the seminal vesicles and the vas deferens, is performed for malignant cancer. There are multiple ways the operation can be done: with open surgery (via a large incision through the lower abdomen), laparoscopically with the help of a robot (a type of minimally invasive surgery), through the urethra or through the perineum.