We encourage you to talk with your Urologist regarding your specific BPH symptoms and the treatment options that are available to provide you relief. Only you and your doctor can decide which BPH treatment is right for you.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms and the degree of relief you would like to attain, there are many BPH treatment options available. Determine your BPH symptoms or choose a treatment option below:

• Short-term Symptom Relief
• Moderate Symptom Relief
• Significant Symptom Relief
• Treatment Comparison

Watchful Waiting

If you have minimal symptoms that you can tolerate, your doctor may recommend a “wait and see” approach that incorporates some simple lifestyle changes that may provide relief:

• Establishing regular timed bathroom visits
• Limiting evening fluids
• Decreasing alcohol and caffeine intake

Prescription Medications

Generally, medications or prescription drugs address the symptoms of BPH, but do not cure the condition. Prescription drugs can be costly and must be taken every day of your life to maintain symptom relief. Often medications will only postpone the need for surgery and may result in unwanted side effects such as:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Lowered blood pressure
• Sexual difficulties

Laser Treatments

Laser treatments ablate or vaporize prostate tissue using high-powered lasers. These procedures are appropriate for patients with small-to-medium sized prostates, and are often performed on an outpatient or day cases basis. Symptom relief may be less dramatic compared to the traditional monopolar TURP. Other considerations and complications of these procedures include:

• Unproven long-term outcomes
• Dysuria (painful urination)
• Not appropriate for large prostates
• Shorter-term symptom relief
• Hematuria (blood in urine)

Heat Therapies

Heat or thermal therapies rely on different energy sources including microwaves and low-powered lasers to heat and destroy prostate tissue. The destroyed tissue is left in the body to be expelled over time; often requiring several weeks of catheterization. These treatments are not always effective in relieving urinary symptoms or restoring good urine flow, and symptoms may return after a few years. Side effects of heat therapies may include:

• Dysuria (painful urination)
• Urinary tract infections
• Incontinence
• Urinary retention
• Retrograde ejaculation

An improvement over the traditional monopolar transsurethral resection of the prostate(TURP), PK™ TURP delivers “Gold Standard” symptom relief along with increased safety and reduced complications. For more information Click here

Traditional Monopolar TURP

Monopolar TURP is the traditional treatment for BPH and delivers immediate symptom relief. Monopolar TURP uses high voltage energy to cut away the unwanted prostate tissue to increase urine flow. Recovery requires several days of hospitalization and long catheterization times, as well as potential complications including:

• TUR Syndrome (low blood sodium levels)
• Excessive blood loss
• Dysuria (painful urination)
• Infection
• Hematuria (blood in urine)

*AUA Practice Guidelines Committee: AUA Guideline on Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (2003). Chapter 1: Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendation. J Urol 170: 530-547, 2003

**Data on these newer technologies appears inconclusive and may also increase complications for patients receiving BPH medications.

• Is PK TURP right for for me?