Prostates

The prostate gland sits at the base of the bladder. The doctor can feel it with a gloved finger in the rectum. (The patient’s rectum, not the doctor’s.) A normal prostate feels like a small plum, with a ridge down the middle. The prostate makes most of your sperm, ie the milky liquid part. Mostly we seem to think of it as a problem, but it’s a really important structure. The urethra goes through the middle, carrying sperm and urine. And lots of fine nerves pass through it, controlling erections, bladder function and ejaculation. Unfortunately most men only discover the importance of all these functions after surgery to remove it, with permanent impact on these precious functions.