General complications

General complications

Death occurs in about 0.2–0.3% of men undergoing elective prostatectomy . In very elderly men, in men with prostate cancer admitted as an emer gency with acute or chronic retention or in those with very large prostates, the 30-day death rate may be of the order of 1%. Cardiovascular - Pulmonary atelectasis, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, congestive cardiac failure and deep venous thrombosis are all potentially life-threatening conditions that can a ff ect this elderly and often frail group of men. Water intoxication Absorption of water into the circulation at the time of trans - urethral resection can give rise to congestive cardiac failure, hypona traemia and haemolysis. Accompanying this, there is frequently confusion and other cerebral ev ents often mimick - ing a str oke. The incidence of this condition has been reduced since the intr oduction of isotonic glycine for irrigating during resection, and further still with the development of bipolar TURP wher e saline is used as an irrigant. The treatment consists of fluid restriction.