Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate. As men get older, it’s common for the prostate gland to grow which can cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms. A large prostate gland can prevent the proper flow of urine out of the bladder and cause problems with the bladder, urinary tract, and kidney.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a problem for many men worldwide. It typically occurs after the age of 25 and causes the prostate to grow bigger and squeeze down on the urethra (a wall becomes thicker than ever before, and the wall eventually starts to weaken. And over time, the bladder ultimately may lose the ability to empty completely.
Narrowing of the urethra and urinary retention, i.e. when the bladder retains a small amount of urine at all times, are commonly associated with BPH. Additionally, although BPH is benign and not a form of cancer, both BPH and cancer may affect an individual at the same time.duct that transmits urine from the bladder to the body’s exterior). In this instance, the bladder
There are several treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and Rezum Therapy for BPH is a minimally invasive treatment that uses water vapor therapy to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate and the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Benefits of Rezum for BPH
Rezum is an outpatient procedure that is minimally invasive and doesn’t require sedation. It provides these additional benefits for patients with BPH:
- Alternative to medications and surgical procedures
- In-office/outpatient treatment
- No general anesthesia required
- Relieves BPH symptoms safely and effectively
- Results can be felt in only two weeks
- Preserves urinary and sexual functions
How Does Rezum Therapy Treat BPH?
The Rezum treatment works by delivering a very small amount of steam to the enlarged prostate. It damages the cells that are causing the overgrown prostate and the obstruction in the urethra, and reduces the size of the prostate. Rezum therapy only requires a single visit without ongoing therapy.
Rezum uses stored thermal energy in water vapor (steam) to address prostate tissue that causes BPH. It has been shown to help BPH patients address a variety of issues, including:
- Irregular flow
- Frequent urination
- Strong urge to urinate
- Weak stream
- Straining during urination
- Getting up at night to urinate
With a Rezum treatment, water vapor is injected into prostate tissue that blocks the flow of urine from the bladder. This causes the water vapor to turn back into water and release the energy stored in the vapor into the prostate tissue cell membranes. The water vapor injection destroys the prostate tissue cells, and over time, the body will absorb the treated tissue through its own natural healing response.
Candidates for Rezum BPH Treatment
Men over the age of 50 years with a prostate between the size of ≥ 30cm3 and ≤80cm3 are good candidates for the Rezum treatment. Those with urinary retention, kidney function problems, urinary sphincter implant, or a penile prosthesis are not candidates for Rezum.
Men who can benefit from Rezum therapy are those who’ve chosen to discontinue or avoid BPH medication, are not interested in other minimally invasive or surgical BPH procedures, and who don’t have severe enough symptoms to request surgery.
How Does Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Affect the Prostate?
The prostate is about the size of a walnut and sits below the bladder in front of the rectum. It extends around a tube called the urethra, which is what carries urine from the bladder out to the penis. The prostate functions to make fluid for semen.
As a man ages, the prostate goes through two growth periods. The first growth spurt happens in early puberty, and the second growth phase starts around 25 years of age. Benign prostatic hyperplasia usually occurs in the second growth phase. As the prostate grows larger, it can squeeze down on the urethra, which is the channel urine travels through. The top of the urethra can also become smaller because of the large prostate, making it difficult to urinate and empty the bladder completely. When some urine is left in the bladder and the urethra narrows, problems can arise that are associated with BPH. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is not cancerous and does not cause cancer.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Symptoms
BPH is common in aging men, and about half of all men between the ages of 51 and 60 have BPH and about 90% of men over the age of 80 have BPH.Symptoms can be mild or severe depending on the size of the prostate and the varying degree of growth. Symptoms tend to get worse over time.
Common enlarged prostate symptoms are:
- Frequent or urgent need to urinate
- Urinating more frequently at night
- Difficulty starting to urinate
- Weak urine stream or a stream that starts and stops
- Dribbling at the end of urination
- Having to strain while urinating
- Not being able to empty the bladder completely
Less common symptoms include:
- Urinary tract infections
- The inability to urinate
- Blood in the urine
- Irregular flow
- Frequent urination
- Strong urge to urinate
- Weak stream
- Straining during urination
- Getting up at night to urinate
If an individual experiences one or more of the aforementioned symptoms, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional immediately. That way, a healthcare professional can help an individual determine the best way to treat such issues.
What Causes BPH and Can It Be Prevented?
There are many reasons why BPH may occur, and including:
- UTI
- Prostate inflammation
- Narrowing of the urethra
- Scarring in the bladder due to a prior surgery
- Bladder or kidney stones
- Nerve control issues
- Prostate or bladder cancer
There are several risk factors are associated with BPH. These risk factors include:
- Aging: Prostate gland enlargement rarely occurs in men under the age of 40. Comparatively, approximately one-third of men experience some BPH symptoms by age 60, and half of all men experience BPH symptoms by age 80.
- Family History: Those who have a blood relative who has experienced prostate gland enlargement may be more susceptible to BPH than all others.
- Diabetes and Heart Disease: Recent research shows diabetes and heart disease may increase an individual’s risk of BPH.
- Lifestyle: Obesity has been shown to increase a person’s risk of BPH. Conversely, exercise may help lower an individual’s risk of BPH.
BPH Diagnosis Before Rezum Treatments
If you’re interested in the Rezum treatment, your doctor will help you determine if it’s a good option for you by reviewing your symptoms, health history, and treatment goals.
Your doctor may start with a questionnaire to understand your likelihood of having BPH. Next, they will administer one or more of the following tests to diagnose BPH.
- Digital Rectal Examination (DRE): The DRE is a standard test used to diagnose prostate disorders. If your doctor detects any abnormalities of the prostate, they will likely order other tests.
- Urinalysis: A urinalysis is a regular part of a physical exam for men. It can tell a doctor if the urine contains red blood cells, white blood cells, protein, bacteria, and other warning signs.
- The Long and Strong Test: This test measures how long and strong your urinary flow is. Patients typically urinate into a funnel that is attached to a device that measures the flow rate and flow time, and the amount of urine excreted from the bladder.
- Cystoscopy: This test involves a long thin tube being inserted into the penis and pushed through the urethra until it enters the bladder. The doctor will be able to inspect the urethra and bladder to determine how much the prostate is squeezing the urethra and if any urine remains in the bladder.
- Post-Void Residual Test: With this test, doctors can measure the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination. The amount of leftover urine is measured by draining the bladder with a thin tube or by using ultrasound.
Diagnosing and testing for BPH may also include:
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test to screen for prostate cancer
- Urinary blood test to screen for bladder cancer
- Uroflowmetry to measure how quickly urine flows
- Urodynamic pressure to evaluate the amount of pressure on the bladder during urination
- Prostate ultrasound
Rezum BPH Treatment Process
To prepare for the Rezum therapy, patients should follow their doctor’s instructions, which may include taking pain medications and possibly using a fleet enema to remove the stool from the rectum. Patients should plan to have someone drive them home after the procedure.
On the day of the procedure, your doctor may administer local anesthesia through the rectum to the area around the prostate, and provide additional pain medication. The Rezum procedure is not done under general anesthesia, and rather patients are given a numbing medication or gel into the urethra.
During the procedure, your doctor will gently insert a small scope into the urethra inside the penis, going past the prostate to inspect the bladder and prostate. Once the doctor has determined the best site for therapy, they will insert a very small tube into the tissue of the prostate and release heated water vapor into the prostate for about 9 seconds. Depending on the size and shape of the prostate, your doctor may give multiple treatments to different areas on the prostate. After the procedure, your doctor will insert a small catheter into the bladder, which may be prescribed for a few days to ease urination.
What to Expect After the BPH Treatment Procedure
After the Rezum treatment, patients can return to normal activities within a few days. Patients can experience a significant improvement in their symptoms in as little as two weeks, and current clinical studies show that results can last for two years or longer.
Side Effects of Rezum Therapy
Rezum has proven to cause far fewer side effects than other BPH therapies, but some of the potential side effects include:
- Painful urination
- Blood in urine and semen
- Frequent urination
- Inability to urinate or completely empty the bladder
- Need for short-term catheter use
Most of these side effects should disappear within a few weeks, but if they do not, patients can find relief by taking a pain medication like Tylenol, relaxing in a warm bath, and avoiding caffeine, chocolate, and alcohol.
Rezum provides a long-term treatment option for many BPH patients. Recent data suggests patients sustain BPH symptom improvement at least three years after treatment, and studies are ongoing to determine the long-term benefits of Rezum treatments as well.
Find Rezum Treatment in Los Angeles
If you’re looking for BPH treatment Beverly Hills, call the offices of La Peer Health Systems to speak with one of our world renowned urologists. We are one of the few medical centers in the country to offer this cutting edge, minimally invasive BPH procedure. We will help you determine if the Rezum therapy Los Angeles is right for you. Contact us at 855-360-9119.
Other Articles about Rezum Treatment
BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) or Prostate Cancer, Screening Can Tell the Difference
The prostate is a gland that is a vital component of the male reproductive system, as its fluid helps transport sperm. It has a tendency to enlarge as men age and can cause urinary symptoms, such as frequent or urgent need to urinate, difficulty initiating urination, weak urine stream, and increased dribbling toward the end of urination. This condition is referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Problem is, prostate cancer can also cause these same symptoms. How can you (and better yet your doctor) differentiate between benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer? Annual prostate cancer screening (after age 40) consisting of a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam (DRE) is recommended.
Do Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Blood Tests Save Lives?
The prostate gland is crucial to the health of the male reproductive system. The older men get, the more susceptible the gland becomes to disease. Two of the most common diseases diagnosed in the gland are benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. The former is not a cancer (“benign”) and can be controlled with benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment such as oral medications or surgery. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is one of the tools that can help differentiate between the two conditions, and, as a result, obtaining an annual PSA save lives. In the last 20 years, there has been no change in the prevalence of prostate cancer but deaths from the disease have decreased by 40%.
An Emerging Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treatment: HIFU
The prostate gland is a small, about the size of a walnut, but important organ with respect to the sexual health of men. Males have a predominance of the hormone testosterone, which drives the unavoidable overgrowth of the prostate with advanced age. This leads to a condition recognized as benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is not life-threatening but can lead to annoying urinary symptoms. Benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment options include oral medications, minimally invasive procedures, and surgery. An emerging, innovative non-invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as prostate cancer, is high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), which uses sound waves to destroy targeted tissue and shrink the gland.
When Do You Stop Prostate Cancer Screening?
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. It’s amazing that so much death can be attributed to the prostate gland, considering it’s about the size of a golf ball. Clinically, prostate cancer shares benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms, such as frequent urination, straining to urinate, weak urine flow, or increased dribbling with urination, but the latter is not deadly. Annual prostate cancer screening beginning at age 40 can help differentiate prostate cancer from benign prostatic hyperplasia. Controversy shrouds whether to continue screening efforts in men older than 75, as many argue that a man will die of other causes besides prostate cancer if newly diagnosed.
PSA, DRE, and Other Screenings for Cancer
The prostate gland of men tends to increase in size with advancing age and makes the gland more vulnerable to disease, the two most common of which are benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men in the United States and will affect 1 in 7 men in their lifetime, which is why screening efforts are recommended annual from the age of 40. Prostate cancer shares many similarities with benign prostatic hyperplasia or hypertrophy, but screening with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam (DRE) can tease out the more serious disease—cancer. Other screenings at least on an annual basis are breast and cervical cancer for women and skin cancer for both men and women.
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