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Urology · UK

Prostatic urethral lift - relief without the trade-off.

Tiny permanent implants that hold the enlarged prostate open, so urine flows freely again. No cutting, no heating, no tissue removed - a day-case that protects your ejaculation and erections, often with no catheter at all.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What a private UroLift costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across UK urology units.

In short

£4,000–£6,000, home the same day, often catheter-free.

Procedure Indicative range
UroLift (2–4 implants), local anaesthetic day-case £4,000–£6,000
UroLift under general or spinal anaesthetic £5,000–£7,000
UroLift for a larger gland or median lobe (more implants) £5,500–£7,500
Flexible cystoscopy assessment £400–£800
Flow rate and bladder-emptying study £200–£400
Urology consultation only £250–£450

Prices vary by hospital, by urologist, by the number of implants your gland needs, and by whether you choose local or general anaesthetic. Larger glands needing more implants sit at the top of the range.

The problem

Symptom relief should not cost you your sex life.

Too many men are offered only tablets that half-work or a resection that fixes the flow but ends normal ejaculation. The lift is the middle path many are never told about - and suitability turns entirely on the assessment.

  • Function is part of the outcome

    For many men, keeping ejaculation and erections matters as much as flow. The lift is built around that, and we make sure it is part of the decision.

  • The assessment decides everything

    A cystoscopy that sizes the gland and checks for a central lobe is what tells us if the lift will work for you - not a leaflet or a hunch.

  • Honest about the trade-off

    Flow gains are smaller than a laser or resection, and a few men need re-treatment later. We put that plainly against the benefit before you decide.

When it helps

When the lift is the right step.

The men who benefit most, the anatomy that suits it, and the one red flag that usually points to a tissue-removing operation instead.

  • Bothersome benign enlargement

    Weak flow, hesitancy, frequency or getting up at night from an enlarged prostate that is affecting your quality of life.

  • Medication not tolerated or not working

    Where alpha-blockers or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors have failed, or their side effects - dizziness, sexual problems - are unacceptable.

  • Sexual function is a priority

    The lift preserves ejaculation and erections, so it suits men who want symptom relief without the ejaculatory changes that follow laser or TURP surgery.

  • A wish to avoid heat-based surgery

    No tissue is cut, heated or removed, which appeals to men who want the least invasive step and the fastest recovery.

  • Keen to skip a hospital stay

    A day-case done under local anaesthetic, often catheter-free, for men who want to be home the same day and back to work quickly.

  • A suitable gland shape and size

    Best suited to prostates without a large central (median) lobe and generally under about 100 cc, confirmed at cystoscopy.

  • Blood thinners or high anaesthetic risk

    A gentler option for men on anticoagulants or unfit for longer surgery, discussed with the urologist and anaesthetist.

  • Red flag: retention or a failing bladder

    Complete inability to pass urine, a chronically overstretched bladder or kidney effects usually need a tissue-removing operation rather than a lift - assessed first.

Procedure options

One implant system, tailored to your gland.

What the choices involve - the number of implants, the anaesthetic, whether a central lobe can be treated, and how the lift stacks up against the alternatives.

  • Standard UroLift

    The commonest form. Two to four permanent implants pull the side lobes of the prostate apart to widen the urethral channel, leaving a clear passage for urine.

  • Local anaesthetic day-case

    Numbing gel and local anaesthetic with light sedation. You stay awake, the procedure takes minutes, and you go home the same day - often the preferred route.

  • General or spinal anaesthetic

    For men who prefer to be asleep, have a sensitive urethra, or need more implants. Still a day-case, with a slightly longer recovery from the anaesthetic.

  • Median-lobe UroLift

    A dedicated technique for men whose enlargement includes an obstructing central lobe, which older lift methods could not treat - suitability confirmed at cystoscopy.

  • Larger-gland UroLift

    Bigger prostates simply need more implants to hold the channel open. There is a practical ceiling around 100 cc, above which a tissue-removing operation is usually better.

  • Catheter-free where possible

    Because no tissue is removed, many men need no catheter at all - a key difference from laser and resection procedures, where a catheter is routine.

  • How it compares with laser and TURP

    The lift gives smaller average flow gains than HoLEP, GreenLight or TURP, but preserves ejaculation and recovers faster. It is a trade-off of magnitude against function and downtime.

  • Re-treatment down the line

    A minority of men need further treatment years later as the prostate keeps growing. The implants do not prevent a laser or resection procedure in future if needed.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

The lift is one of the gentlest prostate procedures, but it is not for every gland and its flow gains are more modest than tissue-removing surgery. Here is the honest picture.

  • A gentle, minimally invasive procedure

    The lift involves no cutting, heating or removal of prostate tissue. It is usually a 15–30 minute day-case, often under local anaesthetic, with a quick recovery.

  • Temporary urinary symptoms

    Some burning on passing urine, a little blood, and increased urgency or frequency are common in the first one to two weeks as the area settles. They usually resolve on their own.

  • Urinary infection

    A urinary tract infection is an occasional early complication, treated with antibiotics. Call the team for fever, worsening pain or cloudy, offensive urine.

  • Sexual function preserved

    The lift is designed to protect ejaculation and erections, and studies show it does so far better than laser or resection surgery - a central reason men choose it.

  • Smaller flow gains than tissue removal

    Symptom and flow improvements are real but on average less than with HoLEP, GreenLight or TURP. This trade-off is discussed honestly before you decide.

  • Not for every gland

    Very large prostates, a big obstructing median lobe unsuitable for the technique, or a bladder that has already failed are better served by a tissue-removing operation.

  • Possible need for re-treatment

    Because the prostate keeps growing, a minority of men need further treatment over the following years. The implants do not block future laser or resection surgery.

  • Rarely, an implant issue

    Very occasionally an implant is poorly sited or encrusted and needs adjustment. This is uncommon in experienced hands and easily managed.

  • Red flags after the procedure

    Inability to pass urine, heavy or persistent bleeding, fever, or severe pain need the same-day team or A&E, not a routine call.

Reading your procedure note

Your procedure note in four parts. Read the last one first.

However many implants were placed and whichever anaesthetic you had, the note the urologist sends you keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant urologist reviewing a patient’s procedure notes

A quiet reminder

Procedure language is precise and can read coldly - ask your care team to explain anything that is unclear.

Ask your care team to explain anything that is unclear.

  1. 01 Header

    Indication and gland assessment

    Why the lift was chosen, your symptom scores, and the gland size and shape found at cystoscopy that made you suitable.

  2. 02 Technique

    Implants placed

    How many implants were used and where - the number reflects your prostate size and shape, and is worth keeping for any future treatment.

  3. 03 Findings

    Anatomy and any median lobe

    What the urologist saw inside - the degree of obstruction, whether a central lobe was present, and how the channel opened after the implants.

  4. 04 Impression

    Aftercare and follow-up

    Read this first: your catheter plan (often none), what to expect in the first two weeks, and your flow re-check and review appointment.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

The prostatic urethral lift is usually covered when medically indicated for benign prostate enlargement.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about the lift.

Quick answers on how it works, sexual function, comparison with laser and TURP, catheters, suitability and cost.

  • What is a prostatic urethral lift and how does UroLift work?

    It is a minimally invasive treatment for benign prostate enlargement. Through a telescope passed along the urethra, the urologist places small permanent implants that pull the enlarged side lobes of the prostate apart, holding the urinary channel open. Nothing is cut, heated or removed - the implants simply act like tiny retainers, so urine flows more freely. Most men have between two and six implants depending on gland size.

  • Will it affect my ejaculation or erections?

    This is the main reason men choose it. Because no tissue is cut or removed, the prostatic urethral lift is designed to preserve both ejaculation and erectile function, and clinical studies confirm it does so far better than laser or resection surgery, which commonly cause retrograde ejaculation. If keeping your sexual function matters, the lift is the option that protects it.

  • How does UroLift compare with HoLEP, GreenLight or TURP?

    Tissue-removing operations such as HoLEP, GreenLight laser and TURP generally give larger and more durable improvements in flow, but they usually cause retrograde ejaculation and need a catheter afterwards. The lift gives smaller average gains and a small chance of needing re-treatment later, but preserves sexual function, is often catheter-free, and has the fastest recovery. It is a genuine trade-off, which we talk through against your gland and your priorities.

  • Is it painful, and will I need a catheter?

    The procedure is usually done under local anaesthetic with light sedation and is well tolerated; general or spinal anaesthetic is available if you prefer. A great advantage over other prostate operations is that many men need no catheter at all, because no tissue is removed. Where a catheter is used it typically comes out within a day or two. Some burning and urgency are common for a week or so afterwards.

  • Am I suitable for the lift?

    It suits men with bothersome symptoms from benign enlargement whose prostate is generally under about 100 cc and without a large obstructing central (median) lobe - although a dedicated technique now treats many median lobes too. Suitability is confirmed with a flexible cystoscopy that sizes and inspects the gland. Men in urinary retention, with a failing bladder, or with very large glands are usually better served by a tissue-removing operation.

  • How much does UroLift cost privately in the UK, and does the NHS offer it?

    Privately, a prostatic urethral lift typically costs £4,000–£6,000 under local anaesthetic, rising to around £7,500 under general anaesthetic or for larger glands needing more implants, plus any assessment scans. The NHS offers the prostatic urethral lift for suitable men, as recommended by NICE; the private route mainly offers choice of urologist and timing.

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