More Men Need the Knife

For many men, dealing with an enlarged prostate just means waiting it out. However, others may need surgery to avoid the most harmful effects of an enlarged prostate, including kidney damage. Now, research shows that some men aren't getting surgery when they need it.

The number of men with an enlarged prostate is growing. At the same time, less of these men are getting surgery and more of them are facing kidney failure.

Men may need surgery sooner for enlarged prostate.

Enlarged prostate - also called benign prostatic hyperplasia - is a very common condition in the United States. It can lead to many other problems, including the frequent need to pee, pain while peeing, and loss of bladder control.

According to Kevin McVary, M.D., drug treatment is usually doctors' first choice for fight enlarged prostate. But when drugs don't work, says McVary, it is extremely important that patients get surgical treatment as soon as possible.

It is important because surgical treatment can fix bladder problems like urinary retention - the inability to empty the bladder - which can eventually lead to kidney failure.

The Study

• Researchers looked at data from 6,409,576 men discharged from hospitals with benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Discharges for benign prostatic hyperplasia dropped by 51 percent
• Discharges for benign prostatic hyperplasia with acute renal failure (kidney failure) increased more than 300 percent
• Discharges for benign prostatic hyperplasia with urinary retention, stones, or infection did not notably change