GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — It is not a stereotype to say that men often ignore their medical symptoms, and that’s not good. So guys, if you’ve been hoping that problem with urinating will just fix itself, it probably won’t. It’s time to talk to your doctor about it. Dr. Navneet Mander is a urologist with Trinity Health and he joined us to talk about Aquablation Therapy and how it might help. Dr. Mander explained, “Aquablation therapy is a new type of surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At Trinity Health Grand Rapids, we are proud to be among the first in West Michigan, and second in the state to offer this advanced, minimally invasive treatment.” Aquablation therapy uses the power of water delivered with robotic precision to provide long-lasting BPH relief without compromise, no matter how large the prostate. According to Dr. Mander, BPH causes obstruction of the flow of urine. All treatments are aimed at creating a larger channel to make it easier to urinate. “Aquablation therapy is the only BPH surgical procedure that integrates ultrasound imaging with the standard camera. This gives the surgeons the ability to visualize the entire prostate in real time, allowing us to map which parts of your prostate to remove and which parts to avoid.” Once doctors have created a surgical map, a robotically-controlled, heat-free waterjet removes the prostate tissue that was outlined on the map. “This robotic technology minimizes human error and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably,” allowing for a wide-open channel with minimal side effects, said Dr. Mander.
As for side effects, “we know that the primary reason men are delaying surgery for BPH is because they are concerned about side effects,” said Mander. “A recent survey shows that 85% of men are concerned that surgery will cause incontinence, and 4 out of 5 men are concerned that surgery will have a permanent impact on their sexual function.” However, in robust clinical studies, men who had Aquablation therapy had a very low rate of irreversible complications—specifically incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction. If you’ve been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate or Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), talk to your primary care provider, as a referral is required for the procedure. To learn more about Aquablation Therapy, or find a primary care provider, visit TrinityHealthMichigan.org/Aquablation.
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