BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, occurs when the prostate becomes enlarged and puts pressure on the urethra, leading to urinary difficulties.
Common symptoms include:
According to the NIH, it's the most common prostate problem in men over 50.
Here's the thing to keep in mind, however. If you don't seek treatment for an enlarged prostate and you're beginning to experience bladder dysfunction, some of these changes could become permanent. Don't kid yourself into thinking, 'This happens to everybody as they get older, and there's nothing I can do about it."
While BPH is incredibly common in older men, it's never "normal." Luckily, various treatment options for BPH exist, from lifestyle modifications to medications to procedures. Below, we provide an overview of common procedures, including some with brand names you might encounter as you research.
As with all content on our blog, the following is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your physician about your specific healthcare needs.
PAE is a minimally invasive treatment that helps improve lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It's a great option for patients who don't want to undergo invasive surgery or who haven't had relief from medications.
Instead, interventional radiology (IR) is used to perform the PAE. IR is a medical specialty in which board-certified, fellowship-trained physicians (known as interventional radiologists) perform minimally invasive treatments using radiologic imaging for procedure guidance. The radiologic imaging includes X-ray fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
At Greater Boston Urology, we offer interventional radiology. You'd keep your GBU urologist but see our IR physician for the PAE.
Learn more about prostate artery embolization.
Developed by PROCEPT BioRobotics, Aquablation therapy is a minimally invasive, heat-free surgical technique for treating lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to BPH.
It combines multi-dimensional imaging and robotics (the AquaBeam Robotic System) to deliver a heat-free waterjet to remove the enlarged prostate tissue.
Dr. Stephen Craig Gillard from our Plymouth Care Center is trained to perform this therapy. If you're seeing another urologist within our group but are interested in Aquablation, Dr. Gillard can perform the therapy. Then, you would return to your GBU urologist.
Read more about Aquablation Therapy. Check out the video below with Dr. Gillard.
UroLift is another minimally invasive approach to treating an enlarged prostate that lifts or holds the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra. There is no cutting, heating, or removal of prostate tissue.
Dr. Jonathan Brajtbord does an excellent job explaining how UroLift works in the video below.
GreenLight Laser Therapy is an outpatient procedure that uses a laser to remove excess prostate tissue and restore natural urine flow quickly. Recovery time may vary depending on your medical history, health conditions, and other factors.
Dr. J. Keith Bleiler in our Falmouth Care Center had this to say about Greenlight Laser Therapy, "I was really enamored with the way the GreenLight laser allowed us to do everything we could without having to cut into the prostate . . . The most important part of it is that the patients achieve a very good quality of life immediately after the procedure. So all of their voiding parameters typically improve very rapidly, very significantly. Recovery is also straightforward. It's an outpatient procedure with a catheter in the bladder overnight that we remove the next day, and I've had patients on the golf course the very next day after surgery once they've recovered from anesthesia."
Learn more about GreenLight Laser Therapy.
According to its website, Rezūm uses "the natural energy stored in water vapor, or steam, to remove excess prostate tissue that is pressing on the urethra," making it a natural alternative to surgery. It's minimally invasive, preserves sexual and urinary function, and is extremely effective, among many other benefits.
Dr. Ryan E. Frankel was among the first in the area to use the Rezūm procedure for BPH. Below, he discusses Rezūm in depth. (Note: He recorded this video in 2019.)
Make an appointment with a urologist to determine the best treatment option for your BPH.