If you have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate, you understand the frustration this condition causes. While BPH isn’t cancer, that doesn’t mean it’s symptom-free. BPH can trigger troublesome symptoms, including:
- Difficulty urinating
- Dribbling urine or a slow urine stream
- Frequent urges to urinate
- Getting up multiple times at night to urinate
- Trouble emptying your bladder
- Pain during urination
- Changes to your urine’s smell or color
- Pain or discomfort after ejaculation
The good news is that treatment can ease your discomfort and minimize your symptoms. At Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia, our board-certified providers evaluate your condition to recommend the best treatment possible.
While medications and minimally invasive laser surgeries can help, many men benefit from the FDA-approved UroLift® System. Here’s a closer look at this innovative, one-time treatment that can give you immediate and lasting relief from BPH.
Understanding BPH
Men have a walnut-sized gland that surrounds the urethra and produces seminal fluids. This gland is called the prostate. Your prostate grows throughout your life.
Beginning in your 40s, it can grow to a size that causes benign prostatic hyperplasia. When this happens, the gland puts pressure on the urethra, narrowing the passage.
BPH isn’t cancer, but it interferes with your life. Since all men have a growing prostate, doctors use the size and any problematic symptoms, like the ones described above, to diagnose you with this condition.
Although this condition isn’t malignant, it can cause complications, such as:
- Frequent urinary tract and/or bladder infections
- Damage to the kidneys
- Inability to urinate
- Bladder and kidney stones
These symptoms may eventually cause permanent damage to your bladder. If you experience any of the symptoms of BPH, be sure to talk to a specialist.
How the UroLift System helps
The UroLift System treats the primary problem BPH causes: the narrowing of your urethra. It works by holding back excess prostate tissue to release pressure on your urethra.
Your provider places UroLift using a minimally invasive procedure. You only need a local anesthetic, and the outpatient procedure usually takes less than one hour to complete.The specially designed UroLift implants don’t require any cutting or removal of your prostate tissue.
Instead, your provider inserts a small device through your urethra. Using a small needle, your provider then places the implants that lift the enlarged tissue away from your urethra. When it’s complete, your urine can flow more easily and you experience immediate relief from other symptoms.
Your Urological Associates provider evaluates your BPH before recommending any treatment. If UroLift is right for you, know it offers two major advantages:
Fewer side effects
Unlike many other BPH treatments, clinical studies show the UroLift System doesn’t affect your ability to get an erection or your ejaculatory function. When side effects occur, they usually resolve in about a month. The most common include:
- Mild to moderate pain
- Burning during urination
- Incontinence
- Blood in the urine
With traditional surgery, many side effects are permanent.
Quicker recovery time
Because your Urological Associates provider can place the UroLift System using minimally invasive techniques, you can expect a quicker recovery time. Recovery is also less painful compared to surgical alternatives.
After surgery, you might wait months before experiencing relief from your BPH symptoms. With UroLift, you can expect significant improvement in weeks. These improvements continue as your body heals from your UroLift procedure.
To learn more about UroLift and whether it’s the right treatment for you, schedule an appointment online or over the phone at Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia.