 |
 |
 |
|
|
Cooled ThermoTherapy™ (TUMT) Enlarged Prostate Treatment Options What Treatments Are Available? There are a number of treatments available for enlarged prostate. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment will help you decide which treatment is right for you. Discuss this information with your urologist. Non-Surgical Treatments There are a number of non-surgical treatment options for BPH. One type of non-surgical treatment is thermotherapy, which uses various energy sources to heat and destroy enlarged prostate tissue.
Medication
Significant cost of lifetime use of current medications – if you stop taking them they stop working. Over 50% of patients who start a regimen of medications for BPH discontinue the treatment within three years 1. Surgery
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) – is one of the most common forms of surgery and is typically very successful. However, a 2 to 3 day hospital stay is needed and activities are restricted for 4-6 weeks. Laser surgery is a newer procedure similar to a TURP except tissue is removed through laser energy. Typically with laser surgery, patients are released from the hospital within 24-hours and experience quicker recovery times as compared to a TURP. 1. Long-Term Risk of Re-Treatment of patients using Alpha-Blockers for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms. J. De La Rosette, et al. The Journal of Urology, Vol. 167, 1734-1739, April 2002. As with any medical procedure individual results will vary. The information on this page is reproduced by kind permission of www.urologix.com
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Medication is often the first-line treatment against enlarged prostate symptoms. However, drugs must be taken once or twice a day for the rest of your life. Over time, the cost can become a large expense and drugs are not effective for all patients. Side effects may include fatigue, headache, dizziness, impotence and loss of sex drive.
Surgery may be considered when symptoms have not improved with other treatments. It removes large amounts of prostate tissue and is performed in a hospital or surgical center and requires anesthesia. Surgery carries the risk of complications, including retrograde ejaculation, impotence and incontinence.
