health
Prostate Health
Take time to understand symptoms and treatments.
RUTHAN BRODSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I
ABOVE: Prostate and prostate with UroLift
t’s not a health topic often discussed in
dure that helps men urinate better, but it
the Jewish News, yet it’s an important
often has significant side effects including
one that, according to estimates, affects
prolonged catheterizations and bleeding.
nearly half of men between the ages of
Because of these side effects, new mini-
51-60. And, during Men’s Health Month,
mally invasive techniques decreasing the
what better time to understand more about obstruction have been developed over the
prostate health.
past 25 years by using techniques such as
For many men, the first sign of Benign
thermal (heat), radio frequency, microwave
Prostatic Hyperplasia, BPH, is an
or laser technologies to kill prostate tissue
increase in nightly visits to the bathroom.
and improve a patient’s symptoms. The
Commonly called an enlarged prostate,
problem with most of these methods is that
the benefits are short-lived.
BPH is a condition in which the pros-
“Today, there are new treatment options
tate gland is enlarged but not cancerous.
available, depending upon the severity of a
Although BPH seldom causes symptoms
patient’s symptoms, how much they impact
for men before age 40, its occurrence and
symptoms tend to increase with age. In fact, a man’s daily living and the individual’s
preferences,” Hollander says. “These include
90 percent of men older than 80 are esti-
medications that help to stop the growth of
mated to have symptoms.
the prostate, shrink the prostate or reduce
The prostate gland, located just below
the bladder, is part of the male reproductive symptoms of BPH.”
After taking two pills for the last six
system. About the size of a walnut when
years to reduce the size of his enlarged
a man is in his 20s, its primary function is
prostate and slow its growth, Paul
to produce and secrete part of the
told his urologist, Dr. James Relle,
seminal fluid that carries sperm.
that he didn’t want to take the pills
During male orgasm, the muscu-
any longer. After some discussion,
lar glands of the prostate help to
propel the fluid, along with sperm,
Relle informed Paul that if he were
from the testicles through the tip
the right candidate, there was a
new technique, the UroLift System
of the penis during ejaculation.
Treatment, that required a simple
By the time a man is 40, the
surgical procedure to treat BHP and
prostate may have grown slightly
was receiving good results.
larger to the size of an apricot and, Dr. James Relle
“I explained that an enlarged
by age 60, to the size of a lemon.
prostate compresses on the ure-
This enlargement can press against
thra, making it difficult for urine to
the bladder and urethra and slow
flow,” says Relle, assistant professor
down or block urine flow.
of urology at Oakland University
“The cause for BPH is unknown,
William Beaumont Medical School.
but risk factors include family his-
“The UroLift device is placed
tory, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
through the obstructed urethra to
For some men, the symptoms
access the enlarged prostate. Then
may be severe enough to require
small UroLift implants are perma-
treatment,” says Dr. Mitchell
Hollander, a urologist affiliated
nently placed to lift and hold the
Dr. Mitchell
Hollander
with Beaumont hospitals in Royal
enlarged prostate tissues out of the
Oak and Troy and co-president of
way, increasing the opening of the
the Michigan Institute of Urology.
urethra.
“Even so, many men put up with an
“The permanent implants are delivered
enlarged prostate for years, losing sleep
through a small needle that comes out of
and risking urinary tract infections, blad-
the UroLift delivery device and into the
der stones and chronic kidney problems
prostate. The final step is removing the
before seeing a doctor,” Hollander says.
delivery device, leaving an open urethra
“Unfortunately, delays to being diagnosed
that provides symptom relief. This is done
and treated can lead to complications and
without any cutting, heating or removal of
health risks.”
prostate tissue.
“The procedure was used in Europe and
Australia for several years before it received
BPH TREATMENT
approval by the FDA in 2013,” Relle says.
“The gold standard and most com-
“Recently published was a five-year study
mon treatment for BPH has been the
of its results, demonstrating its safety and
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate
effectiveness over a five-year period. It
(TURP),” he says. “This is a surgical proce-
continued on page 60
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November 30 • 2017
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