A new option for the management of urinary symptoms

This week's guest post is by Dr. Charles Chabert, a urologist based on The Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. He specialises in minimally invasive treatment options for diseases of the prostate gland, and has extensive experience in laparoscopic, robotic and laser (greenlight) surgery. He discusses a new treatment for bladder outflow obstruction caused by prostate enlargement.

Urolift®- A new option for the management of Urinary Symptoms related to benign prostate enlargement.

Urolift® is a new minimally invasive treatment for men who suffer urinary symptoms related to BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate enlargement). UroLIft has been studied internationally for the last 5 years and the initial data look very promising. The first UroLift implants in Queensland, were performed at Pindara Private Hospital, on 31st August 2013.

The UroLift system opens the prostatic urethra (the pipe which passes through the centre of the prostate) thus relieving obstruction. The system involves the insertion of small permanent implants, which are placed with the aid of a cystoscope or small camera. The implants work by pulling the lateral lobes (sides) of the prostate outwards, creating a passage in the middle of an obstructed prostate.

Traditionally, treatments for BPH have included medications or surgery. Commonly used medications include alpha blockers or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors alone or in combination. Side effects with these medications include a stuffy nose, dizziness, and sexual dysfunction. In addition, inadequate relief from urinary symptoms prompts many men to discontinue treatment early and progress to surgical intervention.

The UroLift® System was launched in Australia in 2013, aiming to bridge the gap in prostate treatments by offering a minimally invasive alternative that provides for rapid and durable relief that is 2 to 3 times that of medication, without the complications of surgery. A unique feature is that the UroLift® system preserves sexual function, as demonstrated in clinical studies.

In 2011 a multi-national randomised study was conducted to validate the early results. All primary endpoints were met, and the UroLift® system again demonstrated meaningful improvement in symptoms and quality of life without the introduction of sexual dysfunction or surgical complications.

To date nearly all treatments for BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) have focused on removing, destroying or chemically altering what is, by definition, benign tissue. The Prostatic Urethral Lift (PUL) was developed under the innovative premise that symptoms can be improved without injuring the prostate.

This Urolift video animation demonstrates the procedure.

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