of transurethral resections of the prostate (TURP) performed each
year.
Now men have a better treatment option. The prostatic urethral lift is
a minimally invasive cystoscopic procedure that can be performed in
about 10 minutes in surgery centers or office spaces with the patient
under oral or conscious sedation. Instead of removing tissue, surgeons
apply a mechanical fix to a mechanical problem: Pulling collapsed
walls of the prostate apart with small implants. By offering the proce-
dure, you'll increase case volume because the indication threshold is
lower than for the traditional TURP surgery and patient demand has
increased. Surgery centers are ideal for the procedure with throughput
times of 45 minutes to one hour from admission to discharge.
When meds fail
Management of BPH with prostate-relaxing medications is the first
treatment option and is effective in improving symptoms for four to
possibly 10 years. However, more than 25% of medically managed
patients are noncompliant or discontinue their therapy due to associ-
ated side effects such as nasal congestion, dizziness and ejaculatory
dysfunction. Plus, the prostate continues to grow, and suffering men
will eventually need to undergo surgery when the symptoms become
intolerable.
TURP, long considered the gold standard surgical intervention,
involves removing segments of the prostate gland with a resectoscope
placed through the urethra. TURP procedures are invasive, lead to
longer recoveries with increased risk of bleeding and result in longer
catheterization. Many men avoid undergoing this procedure due to
concerns about long recoveries, complications and side effects,
including losing the ability to ejaculate. The procedures are performed
in 45 minutes to an hour with the patient under general anesthesia
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