PROSTATRON®
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. The adult prostate is about the size and shape of a walnut. Its primary function is to produce semen, the fluid that carries sperm. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous condition in which prostate cells grow, enlarging the gland and causing it to squeeze the urethra. A variety of symptoms may result, including difficult, frequent or urgent urination. An estimated fifty-percent (50%) of all men over the age of 60 suffer from BPH. The symptoms of BPH often affect the quality of life of the men who suffer from this treatable condition. One example is the loss of sleep resulting from waking during the night to urinate.
Treatments for BPH include either medication or surgery. However, the medications available are not always effective. The surgery commonly used to treat BPH; called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) removes tissue from the inside of the prostate. TURP is a surgical procedure that requires anesthesia and hospitalization.
Thermotherapy, a new treatment for BPH, is a non-surgical, outpatient alternative that improves symptoms and urine flow with fewer serious side effects associated with surgical procedures. It has been known for some time that thermotherapy, the application of controlled, localized heat — 113 degrees Fahrenheit and higher — can safely destroy cells. Trans-urethral microwave therapy (TUMT®) uses controlled heat in the form of microwave energy to treat the symptoms of BPH. The prostate is heated to a level which is sufficient to reduce benign prostate cells. At the same time, cool water is circulated so that the energy is delivered to the prostate and not the surrounding tissues. Thermotherapy with Prostatron® has been performed in Europe and Asia since 1990, and thousands of men have benefited from it. In the United States, Prostatron® received FDA approval in 1996 and clinical studies found that more than seventy-percent (70%) of Prostatron® (TUMT®) patients had symptomatic improvement.
Prostatron® is a fully integrated system that delivers these temperatures to the prostate without affecting adjacent structures. The therapeutic heat is produced by microwave energy which results in rapid deep heating of tissues. Microwaves, the portion of the radio wave spectrum located between infrared and short-wave radio wavelengths, are used in industrial, scientific and medical applications.
The Prostatron® unit includes a small treatment catheter, the tip of which contains an antenna that emits the microwave energy. The treatment catheter is inserted through the urethra to the prostate. Throughout treatment, a cooling system circulates water within the catheter applicator protecting tissue adjacent to the prostate, and a fiber-optic thermosensor continuously monitors the treatment temperature. Most patients will feel heat during treatment. This sensation is normal. Experience worldwide has shown that general or spinal anesthesia is not required. Your doctor will use a topical anesthetic to anesthetize the urethra. You will be given medication to help you with any discomfort. Generally, thermotherapy is well tolerated by patients.
Thermotherapy with Prostatron® requires approximately one (1) hour. Patients need to arrive at least two (2) hours prior to treatment for paper work and pre-treatment medication. Patients may leave approximately one (1) hour after treatment. Due to the administration of certain medications, patients must make arrangements for transportation following treatment. Patients will be discharged with a catheter that will be removed in the office at a later date.
Most patients resume normal activities immediately after Prostatron® treatment. It normally takes up to three (3) months before patients experience the full benefit of treatment. Many patients, however, will begin to notice improvement after several weeks.
For more information, please call our office or submit a request via e-mail.
