The prostate gland is found only in males. It sits under the bladder and wraps around the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body. The prostate helps make semen.

A transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is surgery to remove parts of the prostate gland through the penis. No cuts (incisions) are needed.

The surgeon reaches the prostate by putting a tool (resectoscope) into the end of the penis and through the urethra. This tool is about 12 inches long and a half inch in diameter. It has a lighted camera and valves that control irrigating fluid. It also contains an electrical wire loop that cuts tissue and seals blood vessels. The surgeon guides the wire loop to remove the tissue blocking the urethra one piece at a time. The pieces of tissue are carried by the irrigating fluid into the bladder. They are flushed out at the end of the procedure. Another version of this procedure is called the button TURP. Instead of a loop, a small button-shaped device on the end of the resectoscope TURP often requires a hospital stay. Procedures may vary depending on your condition and your healthcare provider’s practices.

Generally, a TURP follows this process:

1. You will be asked to remove any jewelry or other objects that might get in the way during surgery.
2. You will be asked to remove your clothing and will be given a gown to wear
3. You’ll be asked to empty your bladder.
4. An IV (intravenous) line will be put in your arm or hand.
5. You will be placed on an operating table, lying on your back.
6. You will be given anesthesia to put you to sleep for the procedure. Sometimes a medicine is used that numbs your body from the waist down, so you can still be awake (spinal anesthesia). Your feet will be placed in stirrups that are raised up. 
7. Your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and blood oxygen level will be closely watched during the surgery.
8. Once you’re sedated, a breathing tube may be put through your throat into your lungs and you will be connected to a ventilator. This will breathe for you during the surgery. A breathing tube will not be used if you have spinal anesthesia.
9. The surgeon may first inspect the urethra and bladder with a thin tube (cystoscope). This has a light and a camera on one end. This tube is passed through the tip of the penis, then into the urethra and bladder. This lets the healthcare provider check these areas for any tumors or stones in the bladder.
10. Next, the resectoscope is passed into the urethra. It’s used to cut away the pieces of prostate tissue that are bulging or blocking the urethra. Electricity will be applied through the resectoscope to stop any bleeding. The pieces are flushed into the bladder. Then they are drained out through the urethra.
11. The resectoscope is removed.
12. The healthcare provider will put a soft, flexible tube (catheter) into your bladder to drain urine.