Check your symptoms, take the quiz
*Berry, et al., J Urol 1984 and US Census Bureau international database worldwide population estimates for 2019
The enlarged prostate presses on and blocks the urethra, causing bothersome urinary symptoms like urgent need to urinate, difficulty starting your urine stream, need to push or strain when urinating, dribbling, incomplete emptying, weak urine flow, increased frequency of urination, burning or pain during urination, and frequent nighttime urination.1,2 Luckily, there are treatment options that can help.
Most men living with enlarged prostate (BPH) symptoms take prescription medications after they’re diagnosed, although these often don’t provide adequate relief and may cause dizziness, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. Medications may not need to be a lifelong burden, however, and men don’t need to wait until surgery is required to address the problem. In fact, they may be able to avoid traditional surgery altogether.
When symptoms are mild or non-bothersome, your doctor may just monitor your condition and ask you to track your symptoms before deciding if any treatment is necessary. As your BPH condition progresses, if left untreated, it may lead to permanent bladder damage.3
There is no pharmacological cure for BPH but your doctor may prescribe medications to manage your symptoms. These medications include alpha blockers which relax the muscles around the neck of your bladder, making it easier to urinate, and alpha reductase inhibitors which act to shrink the prostate. While medications can be helpful in relieving symptoms for some men, patients must continue taking them to maintain the effects.
An issue with prescription medications is that their effectiveness may be inadequate and they may cause dizziness, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction.4 These, along with other side effects, are an unnecessary burden and can make men feel older than their age.
The PUL is a proven option for patients looking for an alternative to drugs or major surgery. The straightforward PUL treatment is often performed in the doctor’s office using tiny implants to hold open the obstructed pathway that’s blocking urine flow, addressing the blockage, not just continuously treating enlarged prostate (BPH) symptoms.
It is the only leading BPH treatment that does not require ongoing medication, heating, cutting or removal of the prostate tissue. The PUL offers a proven treatment with minimal risk of side effects while preserving erectile and ejaculatory function.*5 The goal of the PUL treatment is to relieve symptoms so you can get back to your life and resume your daily activities.
Learn more about how the PUL treatment works or visit our FAQ page for more information on the benefits, risks, and recovery.
* No instances of new, sustained erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction in the LIFT pivotal study
Thermotherapies use heat energy such as microwaves, radio frequency or steam / water vapor is applied directly to the prostate tissue. These treatments, which are less invasive than TURP (see below), provide moderate symptom relief in some patients. Due to the application of high heat to the prostate, tissue swelling and urinary symptoms may occur during the healing period. There are also cases of erection and ejaculation disorders with thermotherapy procedures. Patients often need to have a catheter in their bladder during the recovery period.
Laser surgery of the prostate uses concentrated light to generate precise, intense heat to remove excess tissue that may be blocking urine flow. Laser therapy reduces the bleeding risks of traditional TURP. However, because prostate tissue is still being removed, there may be tissue swelling. Usually, a catheter must be inserted into the bladder after surgery. The most commonly used laser procedures are called prostate photoselective vaporization (PVP) or prostate holmium laser nucleation (HOLEP). The clinical data on PVP show that despite the improvement in urine flow, there is a 42% chance of ejaculation disorder.4
During transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), patients are placed under general anaesthesia and prostate tissue is removed. After prostate tissue is removed, patients may experience short-term problems during the recovery period, such as bleeding, infection, erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence. The patients must use a catheter inserted into their bladder for several days after the procedure. Relief of symptoms may not be immediate, but in most patients this procedure provides the most symptom relief and lasts a long time. Long-term side effects such as dry orgasm (retrograde ejaculation), erectile dysfunction, or incontinence (leakage of urine) may occur after TURP.4
The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is a method used to screen for and diagnose benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The survey asks seven urinary symptom questions and one quality of life question to help determine the severity of your BPH.
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