UroLift® at Spire St Anthony's

Do you suffer from the following symptoms?

• Frequent need to urinate during the day and night
• Weak or slow urinary stream
• A sense that you cannot completely empty your bladder
• Difficulty or delay in starting urination
• Urgent feeling of needing to urinate
• A urinary stream that stops and starts

If you suffer from the above symptoms, you are not alone. Over 500 million men in the world have a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) that causes the prostate to enlarge.

The prostate is a gland that surrounds the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the body. BPH is a non-cancerous (benign) growth of the prostate that occurs as men age. When the enlarged prostate presses on the urethra, it can cause bothersome urinary symptoms.

Now, there is a minimally invasive option for patients looking for an alternative to drugs or major surgery. The UroLift® System treatment opens up the blocked urethra by lifting the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way. There is no cutting, heating or removal of prostate tissue.

Benefits of UroLift® Treatment

• It requires no overnight stay
• It is the only surgical procedure for BPH to preserve sexual function
• You can return to normal daily activities soon after treatment
• Noticeable relief from symptoms
• It is less invasive than certain established methods

The procedure

The UroLift® system is inserted into the urethra through the tip of the penis, using endoscopic guidance. A fine needle is then passed up the urethra through the prostate and small implants, connected together by suture material, then attach to each side of the prostate tissue and pull back to stop the prostate gland pushing on the urethra, allowing urine to pass through freely. This treatment is possible because the prostate gland tissue is comprised of a series of ducts, which make it compressible.

Typically, the procedure involves placement of at least four implants, but depending on the size of the prostate and the location of the growth, more or less implants may be required.

The procedure is very quick, usually taking less than thirty minutes under sedation or a light general anaesthetic. Patients are normally able to leave the hospital within a few hours of the operation and can return to normal activity as soon as they feel confident to do so. Patients have experienced symptom relief as early as two weeks post operation. The implants are made from surgical stainless steel which resists corrosion and allows them to be permanent.