BPH Treatment: Aquablation Therapy
When is This Treatment 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 an alternative treatment. Aquablation therapy is especially good for larger, hard to treat prostates.
Aquablation therapy is just one of several non-invasive procedures The Urology Group Central Indiana offers.
How it Works
This minimally-invasive treatment for BPH uses the power of water to remove prostate tissue. The prostate is accessed through your urethra; no abdominal incision is needed.
The procedure is performed in a hospital under anesthesia and takes less than an hour to complete.
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.
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 temporary catheter will be inserted to let urine drain from your bladder.
An overnight stay in the hospital is typically 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.
Recovery
You may experience mild burning during urination for a couple of weeks after the procedure. This can be managed with mild pain medication.
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
- Nearly all men with BPH preserved ejaculatory function
- 99% did not experience incontinence
