Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

If you've been recently diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), you have taken a very important first step in gaining control of your symptoms just by seeing your doctor. Now you want to know what treatment will work for you.

Below is a list of questions you may want to ask. These are only suggestions; feel free to replace any or all with questions of your own.

Don't be afraid to ask questions about the treatment your doctor recommends and why he or she believes it's right for you. It's also OK to ask for a referral to another doctor for a second opinion. Be sure to write down anything that comes up during your office visit that you may want more information about. You have the right to voice your concerns and have them answered.

1. Are my urinary symptoms caused by BPH or by prostate cancer?
2. Do I have prostate cancer in addition to BPH?  
3. Do you recommend any additional tests for me?
4. Could you please describe these tests, and tell me how to prepare for them?
5. Do you perform the tests here, or do I need to go to another facility?
6. What extra information are you expecting to get from these tests?
7. How soon will I know the results of these tests?
8. What treatment do you recommend for me?
9. What I can expect this treatment to do for me? What are the possible risks of this treatment?
10. How soon should I expect this treatment to have an effect?
11. Will this treatment make me impotent?
12. If I don't have insurance coverage, what are my options for treatment?
13. Are there any lifestyle changes I can make to improve my overall health and increase the chances of better urinary and prostatic health?

For Drug Therapy

1. What is the brand name and the generic name of the drug? What company manufactures it?
2. What dose should I take? How often should I take it?
3. After I start taking the drug, how much time will it take for it to start having any effect?
4. What effects should I start to see after waiting the appropriate amount of time?
5. Do you recommend single-drug therapy, or do you think combination therapy may work for me?
6. Do I need to keep taking this drug indefinitely?
7. Can I take this drug on a full stomach? Is there any food or drink I should avoid when taking this drug?
8. Are there any risks of harmful drug interactions with this drug, and how can I avoid them?
9. What possible side effects can this drug cause? What should I do if I notice problems?
10. What serious side effects could this drug cause? What should I do if I notice them?
11. Are there any serious side effects from the drug that would make it important for me to get immediate medical help?
12. Are there any serious urinary or other problems from having BPH that I might notice, and that would make it important for me to get immediate medical help?
13. If I need immediate medical help, do you have an emergency number I can call, or should I go to the nearest hospital emergency room?
14. What follow-up are you recommending to make sure this treatment is working for me and is not causing problems? What should I do if I have questions after this visit?

For Minimally Invasive Therapy to Remove Prostate Tissue

1. What minimally invasive treatment are you recommending for me? How does it work?
2. What benefits can I expect from this treatment? What are the potential risks?
3. Will this treatment be performed as an outpatient procedure? Will it be performed here or at another facility?
4. Will I feel any pain or discomfort while the treatment is being performed?
5. What level of pain or discomfort do you expect me to tell you about during the procedure?
6. Will this treatment make me impotent? How do you plan to protect my ability to have an erection after this treatment?
7. How often have you performed this procedure before?
8. What kind of anesthetic is used?
9. How will I feel afterwards?
10. What pain medication should I take after the anesthetic wears off?
11. For how long after the procedure is it likely to hurt?
12. Will I be able to drive myself home, or will I need help?
13. What should I wear?
14. Are there any tests I should be prepared to take on the same day, just before the procedure?
15. Should I restrict what I eat or drink the night before the procedure, or the day of the procedure?
16. Do you have a safe place for me to lock up my personal things?
17. What kinds of urinary or other changes am I likely to notice after the procedure? Which ones should I tell you about?
18. Are there any serious problems that I might see after the procedure that would make it important for me to get immediate medical help?
19. If I need immediate medical help after I've gone home from the procedure, do you have an emergency number I can call, or should I go to the nearest hospital emergency room?
20. What are the possible complications of the procedure and what can I do to reduce my risk of complications?
21. How long will it take for me to heal after the procedure?
22. Will I feel physically normal after I've healed from the procedure?
23. How long do I need to wait after the procedure before having sex?
24. What follow-up are you recommending to make sure the procedure has worked for me and is not causing problems? What should I do if I have questions after this visit?

For Surgery to Remove Prostate Tissue

1. Will this surgery be performed in the hospital?
2. How long should I expect to stay in the hospital?
3. How often have you performed this procedure?
4. What kind of anesthetic is used?
5. How will I feel afterwards?
6. What pain medication should I take after the anesthetic wears off?
7. For how long after the surgery is it likely to hurt?
8. What are the possible complications of surgery and what can I do to reduce my risk of complications?
9. What kinds of urinary or other changes am I likely to notice after surgery? Which ones should I tell you about?
10. Are there any serious problems that I might see after surgery that would make it important for me to get immediate medical help?
11. If I need immediate medical help after I've gone home from surgery, do you have an emergency number I can call, or should I go to the nearest hospital emergency room?
12. How long will it take for me to heal after surgery?
13. Will I feel physically normal after I've healed from surgery?
14. How long do I need to wait after surgery before having sex?
15. What kind of follow-up will I have with you after surgery to check for results and any possible problems?