Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
When the prostate gland is enlarged, it is referred to as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate is a walnut-sized organ located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum (it also surrounds the tube that excretes the urine from the bladder, called the urethra).
The prostate’s primary function is to produce the fluid that makes up a part of the semen.
It is important to note that the prostate grows in size over time. Unfortunately, the prostate can grow so large that it creates a partial urethra blockage.
In addition to that, the bladder wall thickens which can lead the bladder to become weak. This creates the predicament of the urine remaining in the bladder, also known as incomplete bladder emptying.
What are the symptoms of BPH?
If you have incomplete bladder emptying, there are numerous symptoms that can accompany you which include but are not limited to:
Feeling that your bladder is full even after urinating
Incomplete emptying
Frequency of urination, typically every 1 to 2 hours
Weak stream
Intermittent urination, urine starting, and stopping
Urinary urgency
Developing Nocturia which is when you wake up more than twice a night to urinate
Straining to pass urine
Note that these symptoms can lead to serious complications such as: bladder stones, kidney infections, and a significant loss in kidney function. If you do not receive proper treatment for this BPH condition, you may experience medical emergencies including kidney damage, frequent UTI, and the inability to urinate.
What are the treatments for BPH?
There are numerous treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia whether it be a medication or an invasive procedure.
Specific treatment(s) will be suggested to you depending on the size of your prostate, your symptoms, your age, and your overall well-being/health.
However, if your symptoms are manageable and mild, one of the Pacific West Urology urologists will recommend you to hold off on any treatment regimen and to monitor the condition instead.
A newer, promising therapy treatment is the UroLift system. Once you are approved to be a candidate, this Medicare-covered treatment uses tiny implants to lift and hold the prostate away from the urethra so urine can flow again. The images on the right depict (in order) step 1, step 2, and step 3 of this detailed procedure.
This is performed in a 10-minute procedure in our office. Our urologist execute this procedure without cutting or removing any part of the prostate.
The benefits of this treatment involve being able to preserve your sexual function and having fewer side effects (i.e. incontinence).
Possible side effects include: burning with urination, painful urination, hematuria (blood in the urine), urgency incontinence, and lastly, lower abdominal/pelvic pain.
