“It’s Not a Constant Search Anymore to Find That Relief”

This article is sponsored by Sound Urological Associates

John, a retired train conductor, found relief from symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate

As a railroad conductor for 32 years, John spent a lot of time sitting. When his enlarged prostate started to cause bothersome urinary symptoms, he saw Dr. Douglas Grier of Sound Urological Associates in Edmonds, Washington, never dreaming that he would take part in a groundbreaking treatment that has changed his life.

John was the very first patient in the Pacific Northwest to have a unique nonsurgical prostatic urethral lift. “I was excited to expand what I could offer to my patients with this procedure,” Dr. Grier said. “It’s a game-changer.”

The prostatic urethral lift procedure was cleared by the FDA in 2013. Thousands of these procedures have now been done, and the results have been impressive. The quick and easy procedure is done in a doctor’s office with very little discomfort and no reported risk of new or ongoing erectile dysfunction.1

BPH: Common and Problematic

An enlarged prostate – also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH – is a common condition. One in four men experience symptoms of BPH by age 55, and that rate increases to 90 percent in men over age 70.

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland just below a man’s bladder. The urethra, which carries urine from the bladder, passes through the prostate. When the gland becomes enlarged – which is common as men age – it can squeeze the urethra and interfere with the flow of urine.

Symptoms of an enlarged prostate include needing to urinate frequently day and night, feeling an urgent need to urinate, and leaking urine. BPH symptoms can cause men to wake often repeatedly during the night, and the interrupted sleep can make them drowsy during the day.

In addition to urinary symptoms, an enlarged prostate sometimes causes problems with sexual function too. The overall impact that BPH has on a man’s quality of life can even result in depression.

Simple Procedure, Fast Recovery

In the past, BPH treatments included surgery to remove excess prostate tissue, heat treatments to shrink the gland and daily medications, all coming with a risk of undesirable side effects including problems with sexual function. For John, medication “helped with the symptoms, but over the years it ceased to be as effective as it once was,” he recalled.

“A common belief in men with BPH is that if medication doesn’t work, the only thing available is surgery, and that surgery is going to affect their erections and sexual function and is going to be painful,” Dr. Grier explained. “The prostatic urethral lift is the first new technique for BPH treatment in the last 10 years that has a positive outcome with very little downside.” Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two-to-four weeks after the procedure.

“With no cutting, no general anesthesia and no need to remove tissue with surgery or heat, recovery can be quick,” Dr. Grier pointed out.

During the procedure, Dr. Grier inserts a special delivery device through the urethra, which is numbed with medication, and places tiny implants that push the sides of the prostate apart. This holds the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra.

After the procedure, most men are back to their usual activities in a day or two. “The recovery itself was not what I expected. It was far better than that,” John recalled.

And the results, John said, have been all that he could have hoped for. “One of the greatest improvements has been that I can go shopping, and I don’t have to seek out the bathroom when I get to where I’m going to shop or have to remember to use the bathroom before I leave. It’s not a constant search anymore to find that relief.”

For information about Sound Urological Associates and the prostatic urethral lift procedure, call 425-775-7166 or visit www. SoundUrology.com.

1. Roehrborn, J Urology 2013 LIFT Study