Is treatment for BPH necessary?

Without treatment, men can find themselves at greater risk of severe problems that can no longer be reversed. For example, a patient in his mid-70s who suffered a slow urinary stream and frequent nighttime urination but avoided any treatment was suddenly diagnosed with unrelated appendicitis. Following his appendectomy, he found he could no longer urinate and was in really bad shape. At this point his only treatment option was constant use of catheters to urinate. Similarly, two patients near the age of 70, once with comparable symptoms, are now in very different categories of prostate health. One patient has been on medication for two years; his prostate is now smaller and he says he is doing great. The other patient opted against any treatment and now has an even larger prostate, more severe symptoms, and greater risk of severe complications. However, not all patients need to undergo treatment right away. The spectrum of treatment ranges from watchful waiting to medication to office procedures to outpatient surgery. Each patient is different and requires a different approach to treatment.