Prostatectomy (from the Greek προστάτης prostátēs, 'prostate' and ἐκτομή ektomē, 'excision') is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention as well as for prostate cancer and for other cancers of the pelvis.
There are two main types of prostatectomy. A simple prostatectomy (also known as a subtotal prostatectomy) involves the removal of only part of the prostate. Surgeons typically carry out simple prostatectomies only for benign conditions. A radical prostatectomy, the removal of the entire prostate gland, the seminal vesicles and the vas deferens and pelvic lymph nodes, is performed for cancer.
