What is BPH?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a term for enlargement of the prostate gland. An enlarged prostate is a common condition as men age. It can cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms and block the flow of urine out of the bladder.
What are the symptoms of BPH?
Symptoms of an enlarged prostate tend to worsen over time and can include:
- Urgent or frequent need to urinate
- Increased frequency of urination at night (nocturia)
- Difficulty starting urination
- Weak urine stream
- Inability to completely empty your bladder
Less common symptoms include urinary tract infections, blood in the urine, and an inability to urinate. In some men, symptoms can improve over time.
What causes BPH?
Your urethra is the tube that transports your urine from your bladder out of your penis. Your urethra passes through the center of your prostate and when the prostate enlarges, it can begin to block the flow of urine. Many men have continued prostate growth throughout life.
It isn’t exactly clear why the prostate enlarges, but it might be due to fluctuations of sex hormones as men age. Some of the risk factors for prostate gland enlargement include:
- Aging
- Family history
- Heart disease and diabetes
- Obesity and lack of exercise
BPH can lead to bladder, kidney, or urinary tract complications. Severe cases can lead to bladder stones, bladder damage, and kidney damage. Kidney damage and urinary retention can be serious health conditions. Having an enlarged prostate isn’t believed to increase your risk of prostate cancer.
What are the treatments for BPH?
To choose the best treatment plan, our team will consider your symptoms, any other health conditions you have, your treatment preferences, and the size of your prostate.
Treatments for BPH include minimally invasive therapies, medications, and surgery when necessary.
Button transurethral resection of the prostate
San Jose Urology Partners offers the button transurethral resection of the prostate (button TURP) procedure to remove a portion of your prostate. Button TURP involves bipolar vaporization and is a more advanced and less invasive variation of the traditional TURP procedure. Button TURP is often referred to as bipolar cautery vaporization.
Your provider uses a device with a small, button-shaped tip to vaporize your prostate tissue with precise pulses of low-temperature plasma energy, instead of heat or electrical energy.
Urolift
Urolift is a minimally invasive treatment that involves a one-time office visit under local anesthesia. Urolift doesn’t involve heating, cutting, or the removal of prostate tissue.
Your provider places the UroLift delivery device through the obstructed urethra to the large prostate. Small, permanent implants are placed to lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue and widen the opening of your urethra. Your provider removes the device, leaving an open urethra and giving you symptom relief.
If you’re dealing with BPH, call San Jose Urology Partners or click to book online.
