Have you or a loved one given up hope that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) will eventually just go away on its own? Are you fed up with living with the side effects of medications and limiting your sexual activity? Luckily, there is a new treatment option that promises to reduce your BPH symptoms in certain men with enlarged prostates without the side effects of prescription drugs. It’s called Rezūm.
What is Rezūm?
Rezūm is a water vapor therapy treatment option performed in your doctor’s office that is designed to reduce the symptoms of BPH. This minimally invasive procedure uses natural energy stored in just a few drops of water to treat the excess prostate tissue that causes your BPH symptoms. With Rezūm, you are able to return to normal activity almost immediately with no extended hospital stays or continued, costly BPH medications.
During the Rezūm procedure, steam is applied to the prostate. When this occurs, the cells causing the obstruction are damaged, and assists in reducing the overall size of the prostate.
Rezūm not only aids in reducing the size of the prostate, but it also assists with the symptoms of BPH, which may include:
- A weak urine stream
- Difficulty starting the flow of urine
- Starting and stopping again when urinating
- Not completely emptying the bladder
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Increased sudden urge to urinate
- Leaking or dribbling after urination
- Straining to urinate
The prostate is made up of several zones and/or regions. It is important to treat all of the extra tissue in your prostate in order to reduce the symptoms you are experiencing. Unlike other therapies, Rezūm is used for treatment of the prostate with hyperplasia of the central zone and/or a median lobe. Rezūm is not suggested for patients with a urinary sphincter implant or who have a penile prosthesis.
Rezūm Treatment: Before and After
Since Rezūm is an outpatient procedure, the treatment is performed in one visit and does not require anesthesia. Your urologist will discuss pain management options with you to manage your comfort during the procedure.
Symptom improvement following the procedure is gradual. Patients who have undergone Rezūm report that significant symptom improvement has been seen in as little as two weeks, but responses to the treatment may vary. Most patients can return to regular activities within a few days of receiving treatment.
Rezūm is just one of the many treatment options that Urology Centers of Alabama offer for men suffering from symptoms of BPH. To find out if Rezūm water vapor therapy is the right treatment option for you, call us at (205) 930-9200 to find out how your BPH can be a thing of the past.