Prostatectomy 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.

What is the medical definition for prostatectomy?

Listen to pronunciation. (PROS-tuh-TEK-toh-mee) Surgery to remove part or all of the prostate and some of the tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles (a gland that helps make semen). Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed.

What happens when a man's prostate is removed?

The general risks of any surgery include reactions to anesthesia, bleeding, blood clots, and infections. Other risks of prostate removal include infertility, ED (erectile dysfunction), urethral narrowing, urinary incontinence, and retrograde ejaculation—when semen flows into the bladder instead of out the urethra.