See your operation before you have it.
Type the procedure your urologist mentioned. You will see why it is done, how to get ready, each step in the operating room, and how recovery usually goes, in plain words and drawings.
Erection nervesClipsProstateRectum
Start from the part of your body
Not sure of the exact name? Pick where the problem is and choose from the operations done there.
- Robotic radical prostatectomyKeyhole surgery, done with a surgical robot that your surgeon controls, to remove the whole prostate and the seminal vesicles (and often nearby lymph nodes) to treat prostate cancer that has not spread.
- Open radical prostatectomySurgery through one cut in the lower belly to remove the whole prostate and the seminal vesicles, and often nearby lymph nodes, to treat prostate cancer that has not spread.
- MRI-fusion transperineal prostate biopsyA test that takes small samples of the prostate with a thin needle passed through the skin between the scrotum and the anus, guided by ultrasound and usually by an MRI map, to look for prostate cancer.
- Transrectal prostate biopsyA test that takes small samples of the prostate with a thin needle passed through the wall of the rectum, guided by ultrasound and sometimes an MRI map, to look for prostate cancer.
- HIFU focal therapy for prostate cancerAn outpatient treatment that uses focused ultrasound energy, aimed from a probe in the rectum, to heat and destroy the part of the prostate that contains cancer while leaving the rest of the gland alone.
- Prostate cryoablationA treatment that destroys prostate cancer by freezing it with thin needle-like probes placed through the skin between the scrotum and the anus, guided by ultrasound. It can treat the whole prostate or only the area with cancer.
- Prostate seed implant (brachytherapy)A one-time procedure in which tiny radioactive seeds are placed permanently inside the prostate through thin needles passed through the skin between the scrotum and the anus. The seeds give a high dose of radiation to the prostate over several months while largely sparing nearby organs.
- Rectal spacer gel and gold marker placementA short procedure before prostate radiation. A soft gel is injected between the prostate and the rectum to move the rectum away from the radiation, and three tiny gold markers are placed in the prostate so the radiation can be aimed precisely each day.
- Single-port robotic prostatectomyRobotic removal of the whole prostate and seminal vesicles for prostate cancer, done through one small cut of about 3 centimeters (just over an inch) instead of several keyholes, using the da Vinci SP single-port robot.
- Retzius-sparing robotic prostatectomyRobotic removal of the prostate reached from behind the bladder, through the pouch between the bladder and the rectum, leaving the bladder and the tissues in front of the prostate in place. Many men regain urinary control sooner than after the standard approach.
- Robotic salvage prostatectomyRobotic removal of the prostate when cancer comes back inside it after radiation, seed implants, HIFU or freezing treatment. It can cure carefully selected men, but scar tissue makes it harder than a first-time prostatectomy, and leakage and other side effects are more common.
- MRI-guided TULSA prostate ablationA treatment with no incision, done inside an MRI scanner, in which a thin ultrasound rod placed through the urethra heats and destroys a planned part of the prostate, or the whole gland, while the MRI measures the temperature in real time.
- Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)TURP is an operation done through the tip of the penis, with no cuts on the skin. A surgeon uses a thin scope with an electric wire loop to shave away the inner part of an enlarged prostate so urine can flow freely again.
- Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP)HoLEP is a laser operation done through the penis, with no skin cuts. The surgeon uses a laser to peel the whole enlarged inner prostate away from its outer shell, pushes it into the bladder, and then removes it with a tissue shredder.
- GreenLight laser vaporization of the prostate (PVP)GreenLight is an operation done through the penis, with no skin cuts. A high-powered green laser vaporizes the overgrown inner prostate layer by layer, opening a channel for urine.
- Prostatic urethral lift (UroLift)UroLift uses small permanent implants, placed through a scope in the urethra, to hold the enlarged prostate lobes apart like tie-backs on a curtain. Nothing is cut, heated, or removed.
- Water vapor thermal therapy (Rezum)Rezum treats an enlarged prostate with small, measured puffs of steam injected through a scope in the urethra. The heat kills the extra prostate cells, and over the next few months the body clears them away and the prostate shrinks.
- AquablationAquablation removes the overgrown inner prostate with a high-speed jet of salt water. The surgeon maps the area to treat on live ultrasound, and a robot then guides the waterjet precisely through a scope in the urethra.
- Temporary implantable nitinol device (iTind)iTind is a small folded wire device placed in the prostate channel through a scope. Over 5 to 7 days it presses gently on the prostate to reshape the channel, and then it is removed, leaving nothing behind.
- Simple prostatectomyA simple prostatectomy removes the overgrown inner part of a very large prostate through the bladder, using robotic keyhole surgery or an open incision. The outer shell of the prostate stays in place. It is an operation for BPH, not cancer.
- Prostate artery embolization (PAE)Prostate artery embolization is done by an interventional radiologist through a tiny tube in an artery in the groin or wrist. Tiny particles are injected into the prostate's arteries to reduce its blood supply, so the prostate softens and shrinks over the following weeks.
- Optilume BPH drug-coated balloonOptilume BPH uses a balloon passed through the urethra to split the enlarged prostate open along its front. The balloon is coated with a medicine that helps the channel stay open as it heals.
- Bladder stone removal (cystolitholapaxy)A scope is passed through the urethra into the bladder, the stone is broken into small pieces, usually with a laser, and the pieces are washed out. It is often combined with treating what caused the stone, most often an enlarged prostate.
- Radical cystectomy with ileal conduitSurgery to remove the bladder and nearby lymph nodes for bladder cancer, then use a short piece of small bowel to carry urine to an opening on the belly, where it drains into a bag. It is the most common way to rebuild the urinary tract after the bladder is removed.
- Robotic cystectomy with intracorporeal diversionKeyhole robotic surgery that removes the bladder for bladder cancer, along with nearby organs and lymph nodes, and then builds a new way for urine to leave the body, an ileal conduit or a neobladder, from a piece of bowel entirely inside the body.
- NeobladderA new bladder made from a piece of small bowel and joined to the urethra after the bladder is removed for cancer, so you pass urine through the usual opening without a bag. Emptying it is a learned skill: you relax and gently push with your belly muscles.
- Continent cutaneous diversion (Indiana pouch)After the bladder is removed, a pouch made from the right side of the colon stores urine inside the body. You empty it by passing a thin catheter through a small, flat opening on the belly every 4 to 6 hours, and no bag is worn.
- CystoscopyCystoscopy is a look inside the urethra and bladder with a thin, lighted camera passed through the urethra. Most are done in the office with numbing gel, take about 5 minutes, and you go home right after.
What each page walks you through
Every procedure follows the same order, the way a good surgeon explains it across the desk.
- Why it is doneThe problem it treats and the other options you could choose.
- Getting readyA checklist for the weeks before, the day before and the morning of.
- In the operating roomEach step drawn and animated, from positioning to the last stitch.
- RecoveryTubes, pain, walking, driving, work and sex, on a timeline.
- What it feels likeThe moments people remember and what helps with each.
- Risks and red flagsHonest odds, and when to call your team right away.
- Questions to askA list to print or save for your next visit.
Every procedure
88 urology operations, office procedures and tests, grouped by what they treat.
Prostate cancer 14
Biopsy, surgery, focal therapy and radiation procedures.
- Robotic prostatectomyUsually one night; some men go home the same day
- Open prostatectomyUsually 1 to 3 nights
- Transperineal biopsySame day
- Transrectal biopsySame day
- HIFUSame day for most
- CryoablationSame day or one night
- Seed implantSame day for most
- Spacer and markersSame day
- Simple orchiectomySame day
- Single-port prostatectomySame day or one night in many centers
- Retzius-sparing prostatectomyUsually one night; some men go home the same day
- Salvage prostatectomyUsually 1 to 2 nights
- Salvage lymph node dissectionUsually one night; sometimes same day or two nights
- TULSASame day for most
Enlarged prostate 10
Procedures that open the channel when the prostate blocks urine flow.
- TURPUsually one night; some men go home the same day
- HoLEPSame day or one night
- GreenLight laserOften the same day; sometimes one night
- UroLiftSame day
- RezumSame day
- AquablationUsually one night
- iTindSame day
- Simple prostatectomyRobotic: usually 1 to 2 nights. Open: usually 3 to 5 nights
- PAESame day
- Optilume BPHSame day
Kidney and adrenal 12
Tumors, blockages, transplant and adrenal surgery.
- Robotic partial nephrectomyUsually 1 night, sometimes 2
- Radical nephrectomyUsually 1 to 2 nights after keyhole surgery; about 3 to 5 nights after open surgery
- Nephrectomy with IVC thrombectomyAbout 2 to 5 days after robotic surgery for lower levels; often 5 to 10 days or more after open surgery, starting in intensive care
- Distal ureterectomyUsually 1 to 3 nights
- NephroureterectomyUsually 1 to 3 nights
- Kidney tumor ablationOften same day; sometimes 1 night
- Kidney mass biopsySame day; you rest and are watched for about 2 to 4 hours afterward
- PyeloplastyUsually 1 night
- Kidney transplantUsually 3 to 7 days
- Kidney donation surgeryUsually 1 to 3 nights
- AdrenalectomyUsually 1 night; 1 to 3 nights for pheochromocytoma or open surgery
- Mitomycin gel for the kidneySame day
Kidney stones 6
Breaking, removing and draining around stones.
- UreteroscopySame day in most cases
- PCNLUsually 1 night; some go home the same day, some stay 2 nights
- Shock wave lithotripsySame day
- Ureteral stentUsually same day; 1 to 3 days if you are being treated for a kidney infection
- NephrostomyDepends on the illness behind it: often 1 or more nights with infection, same day when planned
- Bladder stone removalSame day for stone removal alone; often 1 night if the prostate is treated
Bladder cancer 8
From scraping a tumor to removing the bladder and building a new way for urine.
- TURBTUsually home the same day; one night after a large tumor or heavy bleeding
- BCG treatmentSame day
- Bladder chemotherapySame day
- Cystectomy with ileal conduitUsually 4 to 7 days
- Robotic cystectomy (intracorporeal)Usually 4 to 8 days
- NeobladderUsually 5 to 8 days
- Indiana pouchUsually 5 to 8 days
- Partial cystectomy1 to 3 days after robotic surgery; 3 to 5 days after open surgery
Bladder control 6
Overactive bladder, bladder pain, and catheters.
Leakage and pelvic floor 7
Slings, sphincters, bulking and prolapse repair.
- Artificial sphincter (AUS)Same day or one night
- Male slingUsually same day, sometimes one night
- Midurethral slingUsually same day
- Urethral bulkingSame day. You go home once you have urinated.
- Urethral diverticulectomySame day or one night
- Fistula repairSame day to one night after a vaginal repair; usually 1 to 3 nights after a belly approach
- SacrocolpopexySame day or one night
Urethra 3
Narrowing and scarring of the tube that carries urine out.
Testicle and scrotum 10
Vasectomy, swelling, fertility and testicular cancer surgery.
- VasectomySame day; you go home right after
- Vasectomy reversalSame day
- Varicocele repairSame day
- Hydrocele repairSame day
- Spermatocele removalSame day
- Orchiectomy for cancerSame day
- OrchiopexySame day
- Torsion surgeryUsually home the same day or the next morning
- Micro-TESESame day
- RPLNDOpen surgery: usually 3 to 7 days. Robotic surgery: usually 1 to 2 days
Penis and sexual health 7
Circumcision, implants, curvature and penile cancer.
- CircumcisionSame day
- Penile implantSame day or one night
- Peyronie's surgeryUsually same day; sometimes one night after grafting or an implant
- Xiaflex injectionsHome right after each visit
- Priapism treatmentOften home the same day; one night or more after a shunt or if the erection keeps coming back
- Partial penectomySame day or one to two nights
- Groin node dissectionUsually 1 to 3 nights after a full dissection; often the same day after a sentinel node biopsy
Children 3
Common operations for boys and girls.
Tests 2
Looking inside and measuring how the bladder works.