The prostate is a male sex gland located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Normally about the size of a walnut, it surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder.

BPH is an enlargement of the prostate gland that generally progresses slowly. It can cause frequent and urgent urination, produce a sensation that the bladder never quite empties, cause difficulty in starting to urinate and disturb sleep.

BPH also can be treated with other surgical procedures and with drugs. The drugs include alpha blockers, which relieve pressure on the urethra, and finasteride, a drug that reduces male hormone levels within the prostate and helps shrink the gland.