Ask the Expert: Think You Have an Enlarged Prostate?

More than 70 percent of men in their 60s have symptoms of enlarged prostate. This can cause loss of productivity, interrupted sleep and depression.

Dr. Damon Dyche, McFarland Clinic Urologist

What Are the Symptoms of Enlarged Prostate and When Should Men See a Urologist?

Common symptoms include:

• Frequent need to urinate both 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

Enlarged prostate can wreak havoc on a man’s quality of life, so it’s important to see a physician if these problems persist.

What Treatment Options Do You Recommend to Your Patients?

Treatment options for enlarged prostate range from medications to surgery, with minimally invasive options in between. Medications can be helpful in relieving symptoms for some men, but patients must continue taking them long-term to maintain the effects. Some patients may suffer side effects including dizziness, headaches, or sexual dysfunction. And some may not get adequate relief of their symptoms.

Surgical options, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or photovaporization of the prostate (PVP), are very effective. However, these typically require general anesthesia, overnight hospitalization, and post-operative catheterization. Surgery can also increase the risk of erectile dysfunction or loss of ejaculation.

Can You Describe What Minimally Invasive Treatments are Available?

I’m very excited to offer my patients a revolutionary treatment option called the UroLift® System treatment. The UroLift System treatment is a breakthrough, minimally invasive option to treat enlarged prostate. It does not require any cutting, heating, or removal of prostate tissue.

Here’s how it works: a urologist uses the UroLift System device to lift and move the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra (the passageway that urine flows through). Tiny implants are placed to hold the tissue in place, like tiebacks on a window curtain, leaving an unobstructed pathway for urine to flow normally again.

What are the Benefits of the UroLift® System?

I perform the UroLift System treatment in my office, which patients like. The treatment typically takes under an hour, preserves sexual function, doesn’t require cutting, heating or removal of tissue. Compared to other BPH surgeries, the UroLift System treatment has a strong safety profile with minimal side effects.

Most common side effects are mild to moderate and include pain or burning with urination, blood in the urine, pelvic pain, urgent need to urinate and/or the inability to control the urge. Most symptoms resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure.