What is the Best Treatment for Enlarged Prostate
If you have an enlarged prostate, your doctor can treat it with medications or a medical procedure. First, your provider needs to evaluate your symptoms to determine the best treatment for your case. Then, you can go forward with treatment so you can finally move past your symptoms.
Medical Procedures
Your doctor might recommend that you undergo:
- GreenLight laser treatment
- Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
- Rezum water vapor therapy
- UroLift procedure
Greenlight Laser Treatment
You can undergo Greenlight laser treatment if you have an enlarged prostate. You’ll be placed under general anesthesia, and your surgeon will then insert a telescope through the urethra to the prostate. Then, the surgeon will use a laser to vaporize excess prostate tissue. You can go home the same day and should notice an improvement in your symptoms within 24 hours.
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate
The TURP procedure is another common treatment option. During the procedure, your surgeon will insert a resectoscope through your urethra to your prostate. The scope has a loop of wire that produces an electrical current. The current heats the wire, and the heat removes the excess tissue. Then, the surgeon inserts a catheter into the urethra to flush out the removed tissue.
You’ll be placed under spinal or general anesthesia for this procedure and will likely need to stay in the hospital for one to three days. Once you are released, you’ll need to avoid pushing yourself too hard for one to two months. In addition, you should not lift heavy objects or engage in sexual activity for three to four weeks. Your surgeon will discuss the recovery timeline and guidelines during your consultation.
Rezum Water Vapor Therapy
Rezum water vapor therapy is also a minimally invasive procedure to treat enlarged prostates. You will receive local anesthesia, and then your surgeon will guide an instrument through your urethra to your prostate. The instrument converts water into steam, which provides the energy needed to remove the tissue causing the blockage.
This treatment only takes a few minutes, and you can go home the same day. However, you will need a driver. The recovery is relatively quick, and you should see results soon after treatment.
UroLift Treatment
If you don’t want to destroy any tissue during treatment, you can undergo a UroLift procedure. Instead of removing tissue, the surgeon will insert implants to compress it. This removes the blockage and alleviates symptoms.
Your surgeon will use local anesthesia for the procedure, and you can go home the same day. As with the other treatments, you should notice fast results.
Medications to Treat an Enlarged Prostate
Your doctor can also prescribe medications to treat your enlarged prostate. These medications include:
- Alpha-blockers
- 5-alpha reductase inhibitors
- Erectile dysfunction medications
Alpha-blockers
If your prostate is enlarged but not too big, your doctor might prescribe alpha-blockers. Alpha-blockers include:
- Cardura
- Flomax
- Rapaflo
Alpha-blockers relax the muscles in your prostate and bladder. Once relaxed, it’s much easier to urinate.
5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors
If your prostate is too large for alpha-blockers, your doctor might prescribe 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. These medications include:
- Proscar
- Avodart
The medications in this group can actually shrink your prostate. Thus, you might be able to avoid surgery by taking these medications.
Erectile Dysfunction Medications
Numerous men take medications to treat erectile dysfunction. Some of these medications, including Cialis, are also used to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
Find Out What Treatment Is Best for You
These treatments are all sound options if you’re dealing with an enlarged prostate. Find out which is best for your condition by scheduling a consultation at Prostate Specialists of Miami.
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Frequently Asked Questions
BPH stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is the medical term for an enlarged prostate gland. While enlarged, the gland is not cancerous.
You should seek medical treatment when you start showing signs of BPH. Go to a medical provider immediately if the symptoms are significant. Significant symptoms include blood in the urine, pain in the urinary tract or abdominal area, or painful and frequent urination. You also need to seek immediate medical care if you cannot urinate.
If you don’t seek treatment for BPH, you could develop long-term problems. Because BPH prevents the bladder from fully emptying, you can get urinary tract infections. The condition can also lead to bladder stones, incontinence, and blood in your urine due to an infection. Lastly, urinary retention is a possibility. This occurs when the obstruction is so significant that you cannot urinate.
You can develop a variety of symptoms as a result of an enlarged prostate. First, you might notice that you dribble when you finish urinating. You also might have to get up two or more times in the middle of the night to urinate. It can take longer to start urinating, and the stream might be weak. You also might have to strain to get the urine to come out.
Many men complain of a sudden, overwhelming urge to urinate. Urinating can be painful, and there might be blood in the urine. Eventually, you might become incontinent or lose the ability to urinate.
Dr. Adam Gropper
Dr. Adam Gropper is a board-certified Diagnostic & Interventional Radiologist. Before undertaking his medical training, Dr. Gropper was an engineer at General Dynamics Corporation, working on various projects including cruise missile guidance systems, “Star Wars” strategic defense simulations, and others. He is a lifelong “techie,” and has always been an early adopter and innovator of new technologies in treating vascular problems with minimally invasive approaches.
Dr. Gropper received his M.D. from Emory University, where he also completed his residency and fellowship training in Vascular & Interventional Radiology. He has been practicing in Florida since 1999. He has served as an Associate Professor at FIU Medical School and recently retired from his position as Chief of Radiology at Jackson North Medical Center after 10 years of service.
Why Choose Prostate Specialists of Miami?
- PAE is the least invasive option of all BPH treatments.
- PAE is performed in-office under mild sedation.
- With PAE there are no unwanted sexual side effects.
- PAE offers an easy recovery with most patients experiencing an improvement in symptoms within two to four weeks.
- PAE has a high rate of long-term success.
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