Treatment Options for Enlarged Prostate/BPH

In the past, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was usually treated with daily medication or invasive surgery. Today, you have another choice: Medtronic’s unique Prostiva^® Radio Frequency (RF) System. It’s safe, minimally invasive, and can provide long-lasting relief of urinary symptoms caused by BPH.

BPH Medications

There are two main classes of drugs that treat the symptoms of enlarged prostate:

• Alpha blockers – make urination easier by relaxing smooth muscle tissue in the prostate and outlet of the bladder
• 5-Alpha reductase inhibitors – work by blocking the body's production of a male hormone that causes the prostate to enlarge

Medication can offer a simple approach to treating enlarged prostate symptoms, but you may find daily medication to be inconvenient.

RF Therapy

Radio frequency therapy (RF therapy) is a minimally invasive procedure to treat urinary problems due to an enlarged prostate. The treatment can be performed in your doctor’s office.

RF therapy uses low-level radio frequency energy to destroy excess prostate tissue, allowing you to urinate more normally. The procedure takes about an hour, plus some additional preparation and recovery time.¹

Most patients do not need a catheter. Where needed, the catheter is usually removed within 1 to 3 days. Treatment with Prostiva is associated with few side effects and adverse events, with the most common being obstruction (blockage), urinary retention, bleeding, and pain/discomfort.

Transurethral Microwave Therapy

This in-office treatment uses microwave energy to heat and destroy excess prostate tissue. The procedure takes about an hour and may require using a catheter for 3 to 14 days.

Results vary, depending on the size of the prostate, extent of the blockage, the type of machine, and the treatment process the doctor uses. While some men have good results, others have minimal response to this treatment. Side effects vary widely, but short-term side effects often include blood in the urine.²

Invasive Surgery

In transurethral resection of the prostate, the doctor passes a thin tube through the urethra into the centre of the prostate gland. The doctor then scrapes away prostate tissue with an instrument inserted through the tube.

Transurethral resection of the prostate requires general or spinal anaesthesia, and a hospital stay of 1 to 3 days. Long-term side effects may include incontinence, impotence, and retrograde ejaculation.²

References

1. Prostiva RF Therapy System User Guide Clinical Data. Safety information from System User Guide
2. Issa M, Marshall F. Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Diseases of the Prostate. 3rd ed. Newtown, Pa:Handbooks in Healthcare Co;2005:109.

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