Temple Health highlights new minimally invasive treatments for enlarged prostate

If you often wake in the middle of the night with the urgent need to urinate, urinate with growing frequency, have difficulty completely emptying your bladder, or experience pain while urinating, it could be due to an enlarged prostate.

Also known as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate is common in men as they age.

"Fifty percent of men will experience an enlarged prostate at 50, 60% at 60, and the risk continues to grow with age," says Steve Sterious, MD, urologist with the Fox Chase-Temple Urologic Institute. Sterious is a urologist who performs advanced minimally invasive procedures for enlarged prostate at Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital.

Urinary symptoms develop when the prostate enlarges due to its location just below the bladder.

The prostate can grow so large that it blocks the flow of urine out of the bladder.

Early Diagnosis is Key

"You want to see your doctor at the first sign of symptoms," says Sterious. "An enlarged prostate is best treated if caught early."

Your primary care doctor can refer you to a urologist who will check the size and function of the prostate and the speed of your urine stream. A slow urine stream can indicate a prostate problem.

Sterious recommends that men at average risk begin getting preventative prostate screenings starting at age 50-55. He is keen to point out that while the tests to diagnose prostate cancer are similar, there is no correlation between the two.

Treatment usually begins with behavior modification to mitigate the uncomfortable symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

Your doctor will recommend cutting back on your liquid intake before bed, for example, if frequent urination during the night is a problem.

Medication can also be used to shrink the prostate. If symptoms persist, minimally invasive, robotic, or traditional surgery is also an option and depends on the size of the prostate and your level of bladder function.

Many conventional surgical options come with a list of potential side effects, including urinary tract infections, leaking urine, and erectile dysfunction. Fox Chase-Temple urologists work with patients to determine which procedure fits their lifestyle and quality of life concerns best.

A New Treatment Option

Sterious and his team are pioneering a more precise procedure called Aquablation Therapy that speeds healing and dramatically reduces side effects.

It shrinks the prostate, avoiding unnecessary tissue damage and therefore eliminating the risk of sexual or urinary dysfunction, with less pain and a faster recovery.

With the robotically guided use of water jets, Sterious is able to be more precise and provide optimal outcomes for patients.

"Left untreated, an enlarged prostate can lead to bladder infections, kidney damage, or in the worst cases, bladder function can be affected to the point where the patient needs a catheter to urinate," says Sterious.

Patients throughout the region can access the Fox Chase-Temple Urologic Institute at several office locations.

Those who qualify for Aquablation will receive surgery at Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital.

If you're experiencing signs or symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, you should talk to your doctor about advanced options.