Aquablation Therapy
Personalized Care, Rooted in the Rockies
Aquablation Therapy
Aquablation therapy is a new type of surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At HRRMC, we are proud to be among one of first facilities in the central Colorado region to offer this advanced, minimally invasive treatment.
Choosing a treatment option for BPH can be a challenge and require a lot of thought and discussion on what's right for you. Options like medication, choosing treatment that only provides limited relief, treatment that may have a long recovery time, or one that may cause issues with sexual function make this choice not only challenging, but frustrating. Aquablation offers the ability to minimize several of these side effects.
What is Aquablation Therapy?
Aquablation can provide long-lasting relief to BPH using pressurized water and robotic technology to treat the prostate area in question.
Aquablation therapy is a resective procedure, which means that the prostate tissue causing symptoms is surgically removed. No incision is made in the abdomen, as the prostate is reached through the urethra.
Aquablation therapy is performed in a hospital and is done under anesthesia. The procedure typically takes less than an hour and involves an overnight stay.
There are two key steps to the procedure:
Step 1. Creating a Surgical Map
Every prostate is unique in size and shape. Aquablation therapy enables our Urologist, Dr. Cole Wiedel, to customize your procedure to your specific anatomy.
The surgical procedure integrates ultrasound imaging with the standard camera (called a cystoscope). This gives Dr. Wiedel the ability to see the entire prostate in real time, allowing him to map which parts of your prostate he needs to remove and which parts he wants to avoid.
With this mapping, removing the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications (like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and incontinence, etc.) can be avoided.
Once the surgical map has been created, a robotically-controlled, heat-free waterjet removes the prostate tissue that was outlined on the map. This robotic technology minimizes human error in removing prostate tissue, and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably.
When required, there may be a minimal amount of cautery following the procedure to control bleeding.
We know that the primary reason men delay surgery is due to concern about side effects.1 A recent survey shows that 85% of men are concerned that surgery will cause incontinence, and 4 out of 5 men are concerned that surgery will have a permanent impact on their sexual function.1
In clinical studies, men who had Aquablation therapy had a very low rate of irreversible complications (such as incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction and erectile dysfunction2,3.)
Is Aquablation therapy right for you?
This is a different kind of surgical procedure. There are three reasons it may be right for you, but make sure to discuss with Dr. Wiedel to see if you’re a candidate.
1. Low Rates of Irreversible Complications
Aquablation has a very low rates of irreversible complications, as shared below:
It is the only procedure that gives surgeons the ability to view the entire prostate so they can avoid parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications.
It is the only procedure that uses a heat-free waterjet to remove prostate tissue. Technologies that use heat to remove prostate tissue may be damaging to the parts of the prostate that control erectile function and ejaculatory function. It should be noted that some surgeons may choose to use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation procedure if it is required to control bleeding.
2. Confidence in Procedure
Aquablation therapy removes prostate tissue with a robotically-controlled waterjet. This robotic technology minimizes human error and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably.
3. Long-Term Relief
Aquablation therapy has been shown to provide long-lasting symptom relief.2
Take the Sexual Function Quiz to help you determine if maintaining sexual function after BPH surgery is important to you.
Recovery
As with most BPH procedures, you will wake up with a catheter. Patients typically stay overnight in the hospital. We may send you home with a catheter for a few days or may keep you an additional night in the hospital if you are unable to pee on your own or empty your bladder at the time of discharge.
We know that no one likes staying overnight in a hospital. However, the benefit with Aquablation therapy is that most patients end up leaving the hospital without a catheter.2,3,4
Once you are home, you may experience mild burning during urination for a couple of weeks. This can be managed with mild pain medication.
For more information, visit aquablation.com/safety-information.
1. Data from a global survey of 300 patients with BPH. Data on file at PROCEPT BioRobotics.
2. Gilling, P, et al. Three-Year Outcomes after Aquablation Therapy Compared to TURP: Results from a Blinded Randomized Trial. Can J Urol. 2020 Feb;27(1):10072-10079.
3. Bhojani, N, et al. Aquablation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Large Prostates (80-150 cc): 1-Year Results. Urology. 2019 Jul;129:1-7.
