Aquablation Therapy for Enlarged Prostate Now Available at Lee Health

July 5, 2023

For an estimated one in two men age 51 to 60, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate, is the number one reason they visit the urologist.

Risk factors for BPH include aging, family history and conditions like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Symptoms can include weak urine stream, the inability to fully empty the bladder, or the frequent or urgent need to urinate. It can also cause bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems. Eventually, an enlarged prostate can lead to urinary retention, chronic urinary tract infections, bladder stones and in severe cases, kidney damage. Treatment can include medications, surgeries or other procedures, which a urologist will review. It is important to discuss all options with the urologist because some surgeries, like transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), may cause long-term sexual complications.

A new, advanced treatment option for BPH that can preserve a man’s sexual function and offers a faster, smoother recovery is now available at Lee Health. Aquablation therapy is a minimally invasive treatment option that uses the AquaBeam Robotic System, which allows urologists to treat any sized prostate using real-time, multidimensional imaging, automated robotics and heat-free waterjet ablation. Aquablation is consistent and precise with a very low rate of irreversible complications, including incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction and erectile dysfunction.

The procedure takes about an hour and requires the patient to be under anesthesia. An overnight stay is often required. However, depending on the size of the prostate, the patient may be allowed to go home on the same day of treatment. Aquablation therapy is currently available at Cape Coral Hospital and will soon be offered at Gulf Coast Medical Center. Talk to your urologist about whether this treatment is right for you.

We are very proud to add the AquaBeam Robotic System to our robust robotics program that now includes 19 total robots, and we are excited to have a treatment option for BPH that allows men to continue living full lives with preserved sexual function. To learn more, visit https://www.leehealth.org/our-services/general-surgery/robotic-surgery.