Aquablation is a recent automated treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This treatment uses a high-pressure water jet, carried out robotically and guided by ultrasound, with millimetre precision.
With aquablation, the enlarged prostate tissue that compresses the urethra is destroyed, causing total relief of symptoms resulting from the obstruction, with the preservation of sexual function or urinary continence.
Aquabeam, as this new technology is called, for the treatment of BPH can be used in all prostate sizes, with the substantial advantage of preserving sex life and continence.
This robot uses a high-pressure water jet – 10,000 PSI – to clear the urethra and improve urinary symptoms. Unlike classic endoscopic or laser surgeries, the Aquabeam Robotic System permits ablation of hypertrophied prostatic tissue, without using any type of thermal energy.
The surgeon controls the entire procedure in real time through ultrasound and cystoscopy image, planning the treatment in a personalized way, delimiting the prostatic tissue to be removed by the robot. Once all parameters are integrated, the robot performs the procedure quickly, predictably and accurately (in about six minutes).
Once the procedure is complete, a catheter is placed in the bladder which is usually removed the following day, allowing the patient to be discharged after 24 hours.
In addition to a shorter hospital stay, the preservation of sexual life, namely ejaculation, and less blood loss are important benefits.
Aquabeam robotic hydro ablation also allows:
- Possibility to treat any prostate size with or without medial lobe
- Reproducibility as it is a robotic system, where the resection to be performed is planned by software and controlled in real time by ultrasound vision
- The learning curve for the urologist is considered small
- Much shorter resection time and surgical time than any other technique
- Very low rate of urethral strictures
- Very low percentage of retreatments
So far, approximately 130 robots have been installed around the world. The first one to be installed in Portugal was at the HPA Gambelas.
This technological innovation comes in addition to prostatic biopsy by microechography, high-definition transrectal prostatic microechography and low-intensity shock waves for erectile dysfunction, making the HPA Urology Group a national benchmark.
What is BPH?
BPH consists of an enlargement of the prostate resulting in the compression of the urethra. This pathology increases with age and affects approximately 25% of men over the age of 40 and about 75% over the age of 65 years.
Since the urethra is surrounded by the prostate, an increase in the size of the prostate will cause compression and, consequently, bladder obstruction. If left untreated, it can cause irreversible alterations to the bladder as well as the kidneys and may even lead to kidney failure.
Symptoms of BPH are:
- An increased frequency of urination, both during the day and during the night
- A sudden and urgent need to urinate
- Incontinence
- Dribbling at the end of urination
- Difficulty starting to urinate
- Inability to completely empty the bladder.
These symptoms affect daily activity and sleep patterns, dramatically altering the quality of life of the patient.
Article submitted by the HPA Group
