KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- UroLift is a cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedure for treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), which is the most common prostate problem faced by men over 50. It involves placing a small implant in the urethra to compress the tissue causing blockage, improving urine flow and urination patterns.
- Compared to previous BPH treatments that required general anesthesia, caused irritation and inflammation, and had a long recovery time, UroLift is well tolerated by patients and has far fewer side effects.
- UroLift does not cause sexual problems, which were a common side effect of previous BPH treatments. This allows sexually active men to treat their BPH without sacrificing their sex lives.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) can be described as the blockage of urine as it tries to flow from the bladder, through the urethra, and out of the body. It occurs when an enlarged prostate begins to pinch the urethra, which is the tube that urine flows through as it leaves the bladder. The result is difficulty urinating, weak urine streams, and frequent urgent needs to urinate. BPH is the most common prostate problem faced by men over 50.
Fortunately for men who suffer from BPH, medical progress is on their side. According to Dr. David S. Harris, “We now have new tools and less invasive ways of treating guys with blockage.” One of the tools he is referring to is called UroLift. This clever cutting-edge procedure is changing the way the condition is treated and how men live post-BPH.
Before UroLift, in order to open the channel in the urethra a scope would be inserted through the penis to cut and remove tissue from the blocked channel. In other instances, urologists would use a heat method to destroy prostate tissue. Although this procedure would decrease the size of the prostate to relieve pressure on the channel, it required general anesthesia and resulted in a great deal of irritation and inflammation, as well a long recovery time.
UroLift has replaced these invasive procedures. UroLift is a small implant that is placed in the urethra and compresses the tissue that is causing the blockage, opening the channel for the flow of urine. This new implant dramatically improves the strength of urine flow. It also helps create normal patterns of urination, thereby stopping the frequent, strong urges to urinate. It brings men back to normal.
The UroLift procedure is minimally invasive and is well tolerated by patients. Another huge benefit is that UroLift has far fewer side effects than previous BPH procedures. One of the main negative side effects of previous BPH treatments was that they caused sexual problems by affecting a man’s ability to get and maintain an erection for intercourse. Thanks to UroLift, sexually active men do not have to choose between their sex lives and treating their BPH.
UroLift may be the best option for men who wish to take back their lives from the symptoms of BPH without resorting to an invasive procedure. Make an appointment for a consultation with Dr. David Harris or one of the many board certified urology specialists at Advanced Urology Insitute to find out if Urolift will work for you. For more information, visit the Advanced Urology Insitute website.
TRANSCRIPTION:
My name is David Harris and I’m a urologist with Advanced Urology Institute in Fort Myers. We now have tools that have progressed and we have different, less invasive ways of treating many of the guys with blockage. The most recent addition to our armamentarium is a procedure called Urolift and we are very excited to be able to offer Urolift because this is different.
Previously to open that channel there would be a procedure with a scope with the patient asleep and there would either be cutting of tissue in the channel or a heat destruction of prostate tissue and you can imagine that results in a lot of irritation, a lot of inflammation. So Urolift is very clever and the guys that designed this came up with the idea of using a small implant in the channel that compresses the lateral obstructing tissue and makes the channel more open and it is dramatically improving the force of the stream and the urinary pattern with a minimally invasive procedure that is well tolerated, fewer side effects than the medications that have been used, fewer side effects from the bigger operation and excellent outcomes.
Now one of the features, one of the issues that is striking about this is many of the medications that have been used for that will cause sexual problems, will affect the sex act and that also happens with the more significant surgery. It does not change erections and it does not change how a man ejaculates after surgery. So this is becoming very popular very quickly and many of the younger guys 50’s, 60’s that are sexually active that are having obstruction are no longer choosing the medications as the option to avoid surgery. They’re choosing Urolift so they don’t have to take medication, don’t have the side effects. So it’s dramatic.
REFERENCES:
- “BPH Treatment | Enlarged Prostate Surgery – UroLift.” https://www.urolift.com/what-is-urolift.
- “TURP and Other Surgeries For Enlarged Prostate & BPH – WebMD.” 8 Nov. 2022, https://www.webmd.com/men/prostate-enlargement-bph/qa/what-are-some-minimally-invasive-therapies-for-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-bph.
- “It’s Complicated: Enlarged Prostate and Sex – Healthline.” https://www.healthline.com/health/enlarged-prostate/sexual-function.
