As the name indicates, it is performed by visualising the prostate through the urethra and removing tissue by electrocautery or sharp dissection.

A triple lumen catheter is inserted through the urethra to irrigate and drain the bladder after the surgical procedure is complete.

[2] BPH is normally initially treated medically through alpha antagonists such as tamsulosin, or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors such as finasteride and dutasteride.

If medical treatment does not reduce a patient's urinary symptoms, a TURP may be considered following a careful examination of the prostate or bladder through a cystoscope.

Postoperative complications include:[5] In most cases, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction resolve on their own within 6 to 12 months post-TURP.

The UNBLOCS trial compared using TURP to the thulium laser transurethral vaporesection of the prostate (ThuVARP).