Repairing an Enlarged Prostate

For aging men, a diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is as common as going gray. BPH, a non-cancerous enlarged prostate, afflicts nearly 40 million American men and 500 million worldwide.

“By age 60, half of all men have an enlarged prostate,” says Dr. Andrew J. Davidiuk, a urologist with Orlando Health Medical Group Urology. “By age 85, the proportion reaches 90 percent.”

Medication is usually the first-line therapy for those struggling with BPH. However, a new procedure called the UroLift System offers a minimally invasive treatment with minor possible side effects, rapid recovery and improved quality of life.

Warning Signs

Symptoms of BPH occur when the urine stream is blocked by an enlarged prostate pressing against and narrowing the urethra. These symptoms can be frustrating, painful or embarrassing, resulting in interrupted sleep, loss of productivity, decreased social activity and depression.

Symptoms include:

• Slow or intermittent urine stream
• Incomplete emptying of bladder
• The need to double void
• Increased urgency and frequent need to urinate
• Incontinence

How It Works

Developed in 2015, the UroLift System opens a blocked urethra without cutting, heating or removing prostate tissue. To visualize how the implant works, picture the prostate as two curtains on a stage, hanging pressed together. When the curtains are pulled apart, the stage opens up.

Performed in-office under local anesthesia, tiny implants are inserted through the obstructed urethra using the UroLift device. The implants permanently lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way, increasing the urethra opening and making urination easier.