Aquablation: A New Treatment for Enlarged Prostates
Torrance Memorial Medical Center now offers an innovative new treatment for enlarged prostates. Aquablation uses a high pressure, robot-guided water jet to remove obstructing prostate tissue.
“Aquablation uses no incisions, reduces the risk of side effects, and allows us to treat bigger prostates more safely and efficiently,” says urologic surgeon Garrett Matsunaga, MD, who performed the first procedures at Torrance Memorial in June.
The Aquablation System provides 3D ultrasound imaging, enabling physicians to precisely map out the tissue to ablate. During the procedure, real time imaging and robotic guidance help physicians precisely direct the water beam and avoid damaging surrounding anatomy.
“For men with larger prostates (80gm), a TURP (trans urethral resection of the prostate), the traditional treatment for enlarged prostates, is often incompletely effective. These larger prostates may need two surgeries or a more invasive procedure to get relief,” says Dr. Matsunaga. “Now men with very large prostates have a safe, effective, minimally invasive option.”
An enlarged prostate, also referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, can obstruct the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the bladder and penis. It can cause slow or difficult urination and prevent the bladder from emptying fully. A common condition in men 50 and older, BPH often triggers frequent urges to urinate and regularly interrupts sleep. Without treatment, it can sometimes lead to bladder stones, infections and even kidney failure.
Patients who undergo Aquablation generally stay in the hospital overnight. After a four to six week recovery, they can expect to stop taking prostate medication and be able to completely empty their bladders and have less urinary frequency and urgency day and night.
My patient told me it changed his life,” said Dr. Matsunaga. “He is off all prostate medication and only has to get up once during the night to urinate, and sometimes not at all.”
