History of BPH Minimally Invasive Treatments and New Procedures
It was 19 years ago that I brought minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to Southern California. I have closely followed the clinical trials in the U.S. and in Europe and enrolled several of my patients in the trials. While the first and second generations of microwave technology did not produce long lasting results, the third generation looked very promising. After spending time with company engineers and executives from EDAP Technomed, the French manufacturer, in the spring of 1998, I arranged to have the first microwave unit on the west coast delivered to my Long Beach office.
As word got out about a non-surgical treatment for BPH that avoided the side effects and complications of an operation, and was many times more effective than medication, patients started coming to my Long Beach office from all over the state. It wasn’t long before that expanded to patients from not only all areas of the U.S. but from many other countries.
A few years later, I added the Prostiva® procedure to Pacific Coast Urology Medical Center’s range of options for treatment of BPH and its bothersome symptoms. Prostiva® uses radiofrequency waves to heat prostate tissue to temperatures in excess of 100◦ centigrade.
Microwave technology evolved with the introduction of CoolWave™ technology. I was responsible for many of the design improvements from my work with company engineers over many years and as a member of the physician group that set standards for doing BPH procedures in an office setting.
Now, as the most experienced practitioner of minimally invasive prostate procedures in the world, I am proud to announce the addition of two new procedures to treat prostate enlargement – Urolift© and REZUM®.
Urolift© is a new concept in the treatment of BPH. Rather than relying upon heat to destroy prostate tissue and let it shrink over several months, it uses tiny “darts” made of an alloy of titanium and nickel to instantly separate the prostate lobes. As the dart passes through the prostate tissue in less than one second, a tiny end piece instantaneously opens to anchor it to the prostate capsule. A second end piece immediately deploys on the urethral side. The end result of a Urolift© procedure is the creation of an open urethral channel in less than 5 minutes! Catheters are rarely needed afterwards.
REZUM© uses traditional heat technology but with an important new advancement. Rather than directly heating small areas in the prostate, the radiofrequency energy creates steam vapor that is infused into the prostate lobes. This allows for deeper, more complete penetration and heating than was ever possible before. An important feature of REZUM© is that it can also treat the median lobe of a prostate. It does so more effectively than was ever possible before!
So, if you suffer from the symptoms of BPH such as, frequent urination, a weak stream, dribbling or leaking, painful urination or if you’d just like to get a good night’s sleep again without frequent bathroom trips, just give us a call to schedule an appointment to see if you’re a candidate for Urolift© or REZUM©. We’re here to help you!
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