What are the Treatment Options for BPH?
Have you been diagnosed with BPH? Is your inability to urinate freely impacting your quality of life? While an enlarged prostate may be inevitable as you get older, there is always something you can do about it.
Treatment options range from noninvasive behavior modification and watchful waiting to medications, minimally invasive procedures and surgery. Which is best for you? It all depends on the amount of discomfort you’re in, your age, health, the size of your prostate and your post-procedure expectations.
Take our BPH Quiz to gauge your readiness for treatment. And share the results – and your concerns – with your doctor to decide on the best option for you. Looking for a BPH doctor? Use our Doctor Finder.
Watchful Waiting
If your BPH symptoms are mild to moderate and don’t interrupt your daily routine, your doctor may recommend a watch-and-wait approach. It includes active monitoring before considering other treatments.
Behavioral Modification
You may be able to control BPH symptoms by making lifestyle changes such as following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Getting regular exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight. Reducing stress in your life. Limiting caffeine, alcohol and other beverages in the evening. And avoiding decongestants and antihistamines and other medications that can aggravate symptoms.1
Supplements
Some men with BPH have found success with over-the-counter nutritional supplements such as saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol and pygeum to alleviate symptoms. It’s best to talk to your doctor before you begin any supplements.
Medications
Alpha blockers relax the muscles in the bladder and prostate, making it easier to urinate. And alpha reductase inhibitors help shrink the prostate gland by blocking hormones.
Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy
Non-surgical, outpatient therapy that uses the natural energy stored in water vapor to shrink excess prostate tissue.
Prostatic Urethral Lift (PUL)
Non-surgical, outpatient procedure that utilizes permanent implants to lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way, so it no longer blocks the urethra.
GreenLight™ Laser Therapy
This treatment uses a high-energy laser to rapidly heat and vaporize the excess prostate tissue, resulting in a larger channel for urine to pass through.
Transurethral Microwave Therapy (TUMT)
This non-surgical procedure uses microwave antennae mounted on a urethral catheter to heat the prostate and relieve BPH symptoms.2
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)
TURP employs a superheated thin metal band to cut and remove prostate tissue.
Prostatectomy
This is a surgical procedure in which a surgeon removes all or part of the prostate gland through small incision(s) in the lower abdomen.1 The procedure may or may not involve the use of a robot.
Do you have BPH?
Take our BPH quiz to gain insight into the severity of your symptoms and help kick-start the conversation about BPH with a doctor.
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Find a Doctor
Use our Doctor Finder to get in direct contact with urologists who specialize in using Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy to treat BPH.
References
- Carter HB. Prostate Disorders: The Johns Hopkins White Papers. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Medicine. 2010:1-24.
- American Urological Association Education Research, Inc. American Urological Association Guideline: Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), Revised. 2010. Appendix 280, 283-5.
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Content on this web page is for Informational Purposes only and does not constitute medical advice and should not be used for medical diagnoses. Boston Scientific strongly recommends that you consult with your physician on all matters pertaining to your health or to address any clinical/medical questions.
All treatments have inherent and associated risks. The Rezūm System is intended to relieve symptoms, obstructions, and reduce prostate tissue associated with BPH. It is indicated for men ≥ 50 years of age with a prostate volume 30cm3 ≤ 80cm3. The Rezūm System is also indicated for treatment of prostate with hyperplasia of the central zone and/or a median lobe. Potential risks include but are not limited to painful urination (dysuria), blood in the urine (hematuria), blood in the semen (hematospermia), decrease in ejaculatory volume, suspected urinary tract infection (UTI), and urinary frequency, retention or urgency. You should talk with your doctor about benefits and risks before moving forward with any treatment option.
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