Enlarged Prostate (BPH) Treatments

If you have “prostate trouble,” you’re not alone. More than 70% of men in their 60s have an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). While unrelated to prostate cancer, BPH can have unwelcome symptoms. Ochsner offers alternative treatments for BPH.

About the Prostate

The prostate is the male reproductive gland that produces fluid for semen. About the size of a walnut, it surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder. When the prostate enlarges, it presses on and blocks this tube, causing BPH signs and symptoms including:

A need for frequent urination – day and night
An urgent feeling or need to urinate
A weak or slow urinary stream
Difficulty or a delay in starting urination
A urinary stream that stops and starts
A sense that you can’t completely empty your bladder

Consult An Ochsner Urologist Today

Scheduling a Patient Appointment

If you have benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms, it’s time to find out which is the best BPH treatment for you. To schedule an appointment for a consultation with an Ochsner urologist, call 504-894-2887 or schedule your appointment online at MyOchsner.org.

BPH Treatment Options

Medical Therapy

A range of services provided to patients to optimize therapeutic outcomes

The Rezūm System

Rezūm is a treatment for BPH that can be performed in a clinic or out-patient setting. Rezūm uses the stored thermal energy in water vapor (steam) to treat the extra prostate tissue that is causing symptoms such as frequency, urgency, irregular flow, weak stream, straining and getting up at night to urinate. This treatment does not impact sexual function.

The UroLift® System

UroLift® System is a proven, minimally invasive treatment that treats the signs of BPH. The UroLift System is a procedure that "lifts" prostate tissue and does not negatively impact a man’s sexual function. Typically, patients return home the same day without a catheter.

Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)

TURP, the most common surgery to treat BPH, involves removing prostate tissue. It requires general anesthesia and the body needs more time to heal.
Short-term problems can include bleeding, infection, erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence. What’s more, patients have to have a catheter for several days after the procedure. There can be long-term side effects after TURP such as dry orgasm, erectile dysfunction or incontinence.

Laser Resection of the Prostate

TURP may be performed with a laser in procedures such as photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) or holmium laser enucleation (HOLEP). This lessens the bleeding risks of traditional TURP, but, since prostate tissue is still removed, there can be tissue swelling and some discomfort during healing. A catheter is required after the procedure.