Aquablation
Aquablation Therapy Surgical Treatment for BPH: Enlarged Prostate
Aquablation therapy is a new type of surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At Landmark Medical Center, we are proud to be the first in Rhode Island to offer this advanced, minimally invasive treatment.
Aquablation therapy is a one-of-a-kind procedure that aims to minimize the compromise between limited relief, long recovery time, and even issues with sexual function.
For further information, contact us at 401-769-4100.
What is Aquablation Therapy?
Aquablation therapy uses the power of water, rather than heat, and is delivered with robotic precision to provide long-lasting BPH relief without compromise. It is precise, consistent, and predictable, and provides long-term relief no matter how large your prostate.
How does Aquablation Therapy work?
Aquablation therapy is a resective procedure, which means that the prostate tissue causing symptoms is surgically removed. No incision is made in the abdomen, as the prostate is reached through the urethra.
Aquablation therapy is performed in a hospital and is done under anesthesia. The procedure typically takes less than an hour and involves an overnight stay.
Step 1. Creating a Surgical Map
Every prostate is unique in size and shape, and your treatment should be individualized. Aquablation therapy enables your surgeon to customize your procedure to your specific anatomy.
Aquablation therapy is the onlyBPH surgical procedure integrates ultrasound imaging with the standard camera (called a cystoscope). This provides your surgeons a visualization of the entire prostate in real time, allowing your surgeon to map in precise details those parts of your prostate to be removed and to be avoided.
The significant benefit of this mapping enables your surgeon to avoid removing the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications, such as erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction and incontinence.
Step 2. Removing the Prostate Tissue
Once the surgical map has been created, a robotically-controlled, heat-free waterjet removes the prostate tissue that was outlined on the map. This robotic technology minimizes human error in removing prostate tissue, and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably.
What are the side effects of Aquablation therapy?
In clinical studies, men who had Aquablation therapy had a very low rate of irreversible complications—incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction.
We understand the primary reason men are delaying surgery is related to concerns about side effects. In fact, a recent survey shows that 85% of men are concerned that surgery will cause incontinence, and 4 out of 5 men are concerned that surgery will have a permanent impact on their sexual function. With Aquablation, many of those concerns and fears can be abated.
Is Aquablation therapy right for you?
There are three reasons it may be right for you, however, you should consult with your urologists to determine if you’re a candidate.
1. Low Rates of Irreversible Complications
Aquablation therapy has a very low rates of irreversible complications (incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction):
- It is the only procedure that gives surgeons the ability to view the entire prostate so they can create a map that avoids the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications.
- It is the only procedure that uses a heat-free waterjet to remove prostate tissue. Technologies that use heat to remove prostate tissue may be damaging to the parts of the prostate that control erectile function and ejaculatory function. It should be noted that some surgeons may choose to use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation procedure if it is required to control bleeding.
2. Confidence in Procedure
Aquablation therapy removes prostate tissue with a robotically-controlled waterjet, minimizing human error and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably.
3. Long-Term Relief
In clinical studies, Aquablation therapy has been shown to provide durable symptom relief.
Aquablation Recovery
We know that no one likes staying overnight in a hospital. However, the benefit with Aquablation therapy is that most patients leave the hospital the next day without a catheter.
Once you are home, you may experience mild burning during urination for a couple of weeks. This can be managed with mild pain medication.
Have questions or want more information?
For more information, visit aquablation.com/safety-information.