UroLift procedure provides rapid relief and recovery for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
This treatment option is gaining popularity with patients and urologists.
A one-time, in-office procedure that provides symptomatic relief for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is helping patients get back to their lives and activities at a much faster rate than if they had traditional surgery, according to Benjamin Dehner, MD, chief of urology at St. Thomas West Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
The UroLift procedure, which uses tiny metal implants to lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra, has been gaining popularity with patients and urologists since it entered the market about eight years ago, Dr. Dehner said.
He will describe the procedure and its benefits during Saturday’s Sponsored Residents Symposia by NeoTract/Teleflex, “The UroLift Procedure: The Importance of the Largest Group of Patients in All Urology Practice.”
Historically, patients who experienced typical BPH symptoms, including urinary frequency, hesitancy and nighttime urinary frequency (nocturia), had two options for symptom relief. They could begin taking medicine, which could turn into a lifelong treatment, or they could opt for surgery.
“Men were either stuck on medicine indefinitely because they didn’t want to go into surgery or they had surgery and potentially could have some pretty drastic lifestyle modifications, including incontinence or erectile dysfunction,” Dr. Dehner said.
Alternatively, the UroLift System allows for a resolution of symptoms and a return to an improved lifestyle while avoiding risks and concerns involved with a more significant surgical procedure.
Good candidates for the UroLift procedure are men over the age of 45 with prostate sizes that are 100 grams or less, according to Dr. Dehner. “Our best candidates are the ones who are motivated to find something beyond medication to treat their BPH. They really self-select themselves for the procedure.”
Dr. Dehner said he views UroLift as a middle-of-the-road category for men who are dissatisfied with the more traditional treatment options.
“I'm really excited about what I've seen with this technology over the years,” he said. “I've been involved in over 500 cases, so I fully have invested myself. I’m of the belief that we can do better for our patients rather than just sitting back and watching them suffer.”
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