Learning Objective #1: facilitate understanding of patients’ experience of pain post Trans Urethral Resection of Prostate

Learning Objective #2: design interventions to improve pain control by providing appropriate pain relief for patients post Trans Urethral Resection of Prostate surgery.

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Trans Urethral Resection of Prostate (TURP) is a surgical procedure widely done for patient with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is one of the most common diseases to affect men. The prevalence increases with age, and the number of men affected is rising worldwide as a result of aging populations (Kirby & McConnell, 2002). “In Singapore 7% of the population are aged 65 years and above” (Chan, 2002, p.1). BPH will therefore continue to be a significant problem for the elderly male in Singapore thus the number of men going for TURP will also increase.

It is understood that after the surgery, patients will experienced some amount of pain due to the prostatic tissues that is being dissected during surgery. This study will attempt to investigate the level of pain and it's significant in relation to the number of grams resected. All post operative patients who will be admitted in the Urology ward for TURP will be selected to participate in this study. However this study will be limited to patients who are cooperative and who only went for Trans Urethral Resection of Prostate surgery without any other combined surgery such as bladder neck incision.

This study involved documentation of patients' level of pain using Verbal Descriptor Scales (VDS) and questionnaires relating to patients' demographic data. The nurses in the Urology ward are well trained and competent in assessing the level of pain using the standard scale used by the hospital. The data that will be collected will be analyse using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 13.

The findings of this study will facilitate health care professional understanding of patients' experience of pain post TURP and to design interventions to improve pain control by providing appropriate pain relief for patients post Trans Urethral Resection of Prostate surgery.