GENTLEMEN; my name is Phil and I live just outside of Denver CO. in Centennial. I am 68 years old and have been having BPH problems for about 3 years. I started to take Super Beta and tried several natural pills but found they had no results, just a bunch of advertising crap. I went to my PCP doctor and he put me on Finasteride, then Avodart, and then Flomax. I took them over a 9 month period and found they caused all sorts of problems from dizziness, to E.D. and dry ejaculations. All of them are bad stuff, please stay away from them. My issues were getting worse. Having to get up at night 4 or 5 times, stopping and starting, weak stream, have to push or strain to start, etc.
I decided to go to a prostrate doctor and did much research on the internet and found one locally who was advertising the newest treatment being the “Green Light Laser” I was excited. I made an appointment with him. I had to do several tests with him including a Cystoscope (small camera down the urethra) which was not fu at all. I would ask your doctor for a local. He found no cancer and that my bladder was working fine. He found a very small amount of scar tissue which he removed with the scope. He said many people get these form when they have other operations and get a catheter during the operation and the doctors sometimes are not very easy and cause it. I have had several operations including a hernia just 1 year back. He indicated he wanted to wait for about 3 months to see if everything would heal up and them we could go for the Laser treatment.
After waiting 3 months and then going back in to see him he indicated that there was this new procedure out called “UROLIFT” and he felt it was much better and less invasive. He also indicated to me that he had found that the Laser treatment was very underpowered and he many times had to finish up with using the button TURP method to get it done. He gave me all the information on it. I did some more research on it including this webpage. After seeing that there was some people reporting poor results in this “UROLIFT” procedure I decided to go see another proctologist to get a second opinion. Was I ever glad I did.
The new Doctor told me he had been part of the original studies done on the “UROLIFT” and found it very disappointing. That many of the patients saw very little or no improvement after having it. The brochures show that you get 2 of the stainless steel implants but in all of his patients had at least 4 or more put in. He also said the tool they use to do the implants is had to use and if the Doctor is not very good there can be other problems with them not being placed in straight. He said that the other big problem is that the prostate continues to grow and at some point the implants may begin to cut into the gland and cause more problems. At this point if you want to have the “Green Light Laser” treatment done they have to go in and remove all the stainless steel implants which is not easy and takes up more healing time. He also indicated he has done over 1,000 of the Laser treatment and had no power problem and it is the best way to go if you have to go that far. The main problem is about 30% of his patients have Dry Ejaculation after this procedure.
Then he tells me that there has been a breakthrough and it is the best thing out there so far. It is called “REZUM”. It is a water vapor therpy. It is a minimally invasive BPH treatment that delivers with just a few drops of water a targeted, controlled dose of stored thermal energy in a water vapor directly to the region of the prostate gland with the obstructive tissue. The procedure can be performed in a physician’s office and may minimize the procedural discomfort, post procedure complications and side effects associated with other BPH treatments.
It eliminates the Hyperplastic tissue from inside the prostate which then allows the urethra to open up normally again. It provides patients with significant improvement in BPH symtoms, including frequency, intermittence, urgency, weak stream, straining to urinate and nocturia while preserving erectile function and urinary continence.
I will be getting back with my new proctologist in the next few weeks to set up tests so I can proceed with this treatment and I will get back on this after going through with it. I guess there is about 6 or 7 places in the US that are now offering this treatment which is still going through more testing but he says he has done 50 or so and it is really looking like this will be the new way to treat BPH. Here is a web page with more information. Have a great day. Phil