ENLARGED PROSTATE AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

Half of every man over the age of fifty will have an enlarged prostate. By the age of 80, 80% of all men will develop this condition, also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasis (BPH). Enlarged prostate represents one-quarter of every patient seen by a Urologist. More than 14 million men in the U.S. suffer from this condition. Although not life threatening, it is painful, embarrassing and does affect quality of life.

The Prostate

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland located beneath the bladder and rectum. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine. Found only in men, the main function of the prostate is to provide fluid for semen. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous enlargement that causes urinary complications. Symptoms of BPH include frequent urination, especially at night; the urgent need to urinate, difficulty starting urination, dribbling or leaking after urination, the feeling that the bladder never completely empties and a weak urine stream.

Enlarge Prostate Treatments

When urinary symptoms become bothersome, treatment is usually needed. Medical therapy is the fist line of defense against symptoms that interfere with lifestyle and prevent a good nights sleep. Medical treatments are designed to either reduce the side of the prostate or relax the smooth muscles of the bladder outlet and prostate. Drugs are costly, not usually covered by insurance, must be taken daily and can interfere with other medications. Side effects include impotence, dizziness, headaches, fatigue and loss of sexual drive.

Overtime, medications usually fail and intervention is required to relieve urinary symptoms. Thermal Therapies used heat to destroy prostate tissue. The destroyed tissue is left in the body and becomes scar tissue. This results in an incomplete reduction is tissue and prostate swelling that causes increased urinary symptoms for several weeks to months. Patients may need to wear a catheter for a few days or several weeks. These treatments, which include: transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT), transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) and interstitial coagulation (ILC) are not always effective, can not be sued on all patients and are not always effective in restoring a strong urine flow. Side effects may include: painful urination, urinary tract infections, incontinence, impotence and retrograde ejaculation.

Amore effective treatment for relieving urinary symptoms and restoring a strong urine flow is Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP). TURP is the removal of excess prostate tissue using a surgical loop. Although considered the “Gold Standard” of treatment for tan enlarged prostate, there are significant risks and complications associated wit the invasive surgical treatment, They include: blood transfusion, impotence, incontinence, infection, painful urination, high rate of retrograde ejaculation, 1-4 day hospital stay, 1-3 days wearing a catheter and a 4-6 week recovery period.

Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate (PVP) is a laser treatment that combines the effectiveness of an invasive surgical procedure with the safety and ease of a minimally invasive procedure. The GreenLight PVP Laser Procedure removes excess prostate tissue using a patented high-power green light laser. The laser energy quickly vaporizes and precisely removes obstructive prostate tissue in a virtually bloodless procedure. Unlike laser treatments of the past, GreenLight removes excess tissue so urinary symptoms are immediately relieved, accompanied by a dramatic improvement in natural urine flow. Most patients are released within a couple of hours, and in some cases without a catheter. Recovery time is short and nearly painless. The safety, efficacy and durability of the Green Light PVP Procedure have been proven in clinical studies conducted at many leading institutions. Thousands of patients have been successfully treated wit the GreenLight PVP Laser System.

Treatments for BPH

The most traditional long-term treatment is surgery which cuts away the enlarged prostate issue. Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) is the most common BPH surgery. It involves inserting an instrument in the urethra and removing excess prostate tissue one piece at a time.

Advanced Laser Technology Delivers Breakthrough Solution To Enlarged Prostate

The GreenLight PVPTM Laser Procedure (Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate)

GreenLight PVPTM is unlike any other enlarged prostate treatment because it combines the effectiveness of an invasive surgical procedure with the safety and ease of a minimally invasive treatment and is delivered in a single, low risk procedure.

Choosing a BPH treatment involves careful consideration to determine if the treatment is effective in relieving symptoms and restoring urine flow, long-lasting and easy to tolerate. GreenLight PVPTM delivers immediate relief of this bothersome condition without the side effects or expense of medication, the risks associated with traditional surgery of the delayed relief symptoms from heat treatments.

Indigo Laser

How does the Indigo Laser work? A Urologist threads a special Indigo fiber through the urethra and into the prostate, positioning the tip of the fiber in the targeted treatment area. The fiberoptic tip delivers controlled laser energy that coagulates, or destroys, very precise areas of the prostate. No incision or cutting of tissue is involved. The procedure is performed in an out-patient setting.

Each treatment has its advantages and disadvantages. You should talk to your doctor about all of your options. For a referral to a Urologist, contact our physician referral service at 1-866-362-7335.