Aquablation Therapy Surgical Treatment for BPH (enlarged prostate)


Aquablation therapy is a new type of surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At St. Joseph’s Medical Center, we are proud to be the first in San Joaquin County to offer this advanced, minimally invasive treatment. 

We are excited to offer Aquablation therapy at St. Joseph’s because we believe in helping men suffering from BPH to get their life back and feel like themselves again.  

We know choosing a treatment option can be overwhelming, as it often forces men to compromise in some way. This could mean not responding well to medication, or choosing a treatment that only provides limited relief, that may have a long recovery time, or that may even cause issues with sexual function.  

Aquablation therapy is a one-of-a-kind procedure that aims to minimize this compromise.  

What is Aquablation Therapy?

Aquablation therapy uses the power of water delivered with robotic precision to provide long-lasting BPH relief without compromise. It is precise, consistent, and predictable, and provides long-term relief no matter how large your prostate.2,3

How does Aquablation Therapy work?

Aquablation therapy is a resective procedure, which means that the prostate tissue causing symptoms is surgically removed. No incision is made in the abdomen, as the prostate is reached through the urethra.

Aquablation therapy is performed in a hospital and is done under anesthesia. The procedure typically takes less than an hour and involves an overnight stay.

There are two key steps to the Aquablation procedure:

Step 1. Creating a Surgical Map

Every prostate is unique in size and shape. Aquablation therapy enables our surgeons to customize your procedure to your specific anatomy.  

How? Aquablation therapy is the only BPH surgical procedure that integrates ultrasound imaging with the standard camera (called a cystoscope). This gives our surgeons the ability to see the entire prostate in real time, which allows our surgeons to map which parts of your prostate they want to remove and which parts they want to avoid.  

Specifically, this mapping enables our surgeons to avoid removing the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and incontinence.  

What are the side effects of Aquablation therapy?

We know that the primary reason men are delaying surgery is because they are concerned about side effects.1 In fact, a recent survey shows that 85% of men are concerned that surgery will cause incontinence, and 4 out of 5 men are concerned that surgery will have a permanent impact on their sexual function.1

In clinical studies, men who had Aquablation therapy had a very low rate of irreversible complications—incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, or erectile dysfunction.2,3

Is Aquablation therapy right for you?

Aquablation therapy is a different kind of surgical procedure. There are three reasons it may be right for you, but make sure to discuss with our surgeons to see if you’re a candidate

Aquablation therapy has a very low rates of irreversible complications (incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction)2,3,4 because:

  • It is the only procedure that gives surgeons the ability to view the entire prostate so they can create a map that avoids the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications.
  • It is the only procedure that uses a heat-free waterjet to remove prostate tissue.  Technologies that use heat to remove prostate tissue may be damaging to the parts of the prostate that control erectile function and ejaculatory function. It should be noted that some surgeons may choose to use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation procedure if it is required to control bleeding.

Aquablation therapy removes prostate tissue with a robotically-controlled waterjet. This robotic technology minimizes human error and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably.

In clinical studies, Aquablation therapy has been shown to provide durable symptom relief.2

Aquablation Recovery

As with most BPH procedures, you will wake up with a catheter. Patients typically stay overnight in the hospital. We may send you home with a catheter for a few days or may keep you an additional night in the hospital if you are unable to urinate on your own or empty your bladder at the time of discharge.

We know that no one likes staying overnight in a hospital. However, the benefit with Aquablation therapy is that most patients end up leaving the hospital without a catheter.2,3,4

Once you are home, you may experience mild burning during urination for a couple of weeks. This can be managed with mild pain medication. 

For more information, visit aquablation.com/safety-information.

Have questions or want more information?

For more information, call us at 209.467.6408 or visit Aquablation.com for Frequently Asked Questions.

 

REFERENCES

1. Data from a global survey of 300 patients with BPH. Data on file at PROCEPT BioRobotics.

2. Gilling, P, et al. Three-Year Outcomes after Aquablation Therapy Compared to TURP: Results from a Blinded Randomized Trial. Can J Urol. 2020 Feb;27(1):10072-10079.

3. Bhojani, N, et al. Aquablation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Large Prostates (80-150 cc): 1-Year Results. Urology. 2019 Jul;129:1-7.

4. Data on file at PROCEPT BioRobotics.
 

FINE PRINT

INDICATIONS FOR USE

United States and Hong Kong
The AquaBeam® Robotic System is intended for the resection and removal of prostate tissue in males suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Rest of World
The AquaBeam Robotic System is intended for the resection and removal of prostate tissue in males suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

All surgical treatments have inherent and associated side effects. Individual’s outcomes may depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to patient characteristics, disease characteristics and/or surgeon experience. The most common side effects are mild and transient and may include mild pain or difficulty when urinating, discomfort in the pelvis, blood in the urine, inability to empty the bladder or a frequent and/or urgent need to urinate, and bladder or urinary tract infection. Other risks include ejaculatory dysfunction and a low risk of injury to the urethra or rectum where the devices gain access to the body for treatment. Further, there may be other risks as in other urological surgery, such as anesthesia risk or the risk of infection, including the potential transmission of blood borne pathogens.  For more information about potential side effects and risks associated with Aquablation therapy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) treatment, speak with your urologist or surgeon. No claim is made that the AquaBeam® Robotic System will cure any medical condition, or entirely eliminate the diseased entity. Repeated treatment or alternative therapies may sometimes be required.

As with any surgical urologic procedure, potential perioperative risks of the Aquablation procedure include but are not limited to the following, some of which may lead to serious outcomes and may require intervention: Anesthesia risk, Bladder or prostate capsule perforation, Bladder neck contracture, Bleeding or blood in the urine, Bruising, Penile or pelvic pain, Irritative symptoms, which may include dysuria, urgency or frequency, Infection, Transurethral resection (TUR) syndrome, Electric shock/burn, Urethral damage causing false passage or stricture, Rectal incontinence / perforation, Sexual dysfunction, including ejaculatory and erectile dysfunction, Incontinence or overactive bladder, Embolism, Urinary Retention

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