Aquablation Therapy for BPH
This treatment for BPH (enlarged prostate) uses the power of water to remove prostate tissue. The prostate is accessed through your urethra; no abdominal incision is needed.
How It Works
During the procedure, excess prostate tissue is removed with powerful heat-free water jets. The surgeon is assisted by robotic technology, which provides precision and minimizes human error.
The procedure is performed in a hospital under anesthesia and takes about an hour to complete.
First, your surgeon will use ultrasound to map the area of your prostate to be treated. Then, assisted by robotic technology, your surgeon will go through your urethra to reach the treatment area. Powerful heat-free water jets will remove the excess prostate tissue that is obstructing urine flow. A scope will then be inserted to trim some of the ragged tissue created by the water jet and cauterize blood vessels. A temporary catheter will be inserted to let urine drain from your bladder.
An overnight stay in the hospital is sometimes needed. You may be sent home with a catheter if you are unable to empty your bladder after the procedure. Some patients stay a second night in the hospital.
When This Treatment is Appropriate
Medications may be the first course of treatment for an enlarged prostate. If medications do not provide enough symptom relief, if side effects are bothersome, or if prescriptions become too expensive, some men choose a more permanent treatment. Aquablation therapy is especially good for larger, hard to treat prostates or for men who are concerned about the potential damage to sexual function that can be caused by more traditional BPH procedures like transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).
You may experience mild burning during urination for a couple of weeks after the procedure. This can be managed with mild pain medication. There may be blood in the urine for a few weeks after surgery but this should gradually lessen. Your bladder may be more irritable initially but this will improve over the first month or two after surgery as your prostate heals.
In clinical studies, men who had Aquablation Therapy reported these results:
- No impact on erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, or overall sexual satisfaction
- 80-90% had preserved ejaculatory function
- 99% did not experience incontinence
Benefits of Aquablation Therapy
Some benefits of this treatment include:
- Treats a wide range of prostate sizes
- Precise prostate tissue removal with less damage to other structures
- Low risk of sexual side effects
- Relatively short procedure and recovery time
- No incisions or stitches necessary
