Urology patients at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) are set to benefit from two new life-changing treatments

Urology patients at University Hospitals of North Midlands are set to benefit from two new life-changing treatments.

The UroLift® System Treatment and Rezūm® Steam Ablation Therapy are minimally invasive procedures for patients suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) - a benign enlarged prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common and progressive condition where the enlarged prostate can make it difficult for men to pass urine and can impact their quality of life. Occasionally it can lead to complications including urinary tract infections, urinary retention and, in some cases, renal failure. Prevalence increases with advancing age, affecting more than one in three men in their 50’s and 80 per cent of men over 70.

Consultant Urological Surgeon, Ms Mistry Pain said: “We are very happy to be able to offer these two new innovative treatments at UHNM and we believe they will make a big difference to the quality of life for many of our patients. We are now able to offer men a choice of treatment options for their BPH depending on their individual suitability and preference.

“Before, men referred to UHNM with moderate or severe symptoms of BPH were generally offered a surgical procedure which involves cutting away or removing existing tissue using either heat or laser, under general anaesthesia. These procedures required an average in-patient stay of 1-2 days, and potential complications such as bleeding and infection could result in a prolonged length of stay. In addition, these procedures can have side-effects including sexual dysfunction and scarring causing narrowing within the waterpipe.”

She added: “The benefits of these new procedures include rapid and sustained improvement in symptoms and flow, improved safety and side effects, preservation of sexual function, significantly reduced post-operative complications and a more rapid return to daily living compared with resection or laser treatment.

“As these more efficient treatments are performed as daycase procedures, this also means that fewer inpatient resources are used. In time, we hope to be able to offer men these procedures under local anaesthesia in an ambulatory setting.”