Movember spotlight: MultiCare pioneers a new, minimally invasive procedure to treat enlarged prostate

As we continue to celebrate Movember and raise awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, it is timely that the Tacoma area’s very first UroLift® procedure was performed at MultiCare Allenmore Hospital earlier this month.

The UroLift System is a new minimally invasive procedure to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate. The prostate is a gland in males that sits below the bladder and encircles the urethra. As men age, the gland often continues to grow and enlarge, causing a weak urinary stream, straining to urinate, incomplete bladder emptying and frequent urination.

There are a number of treatments for BPH, from oral medications to surgical options. Oral medications may work well for some men, but for others they can fail to adequately control symptoms or stop working altogether as the condition progresses. And while surgical options, such as transurethral resection of prostate (TURP), often result in dramatic improvement in symptoms of BPH, they are invasive procedures that typically require hospitalization overnight. Procedures like UroLift fill the gap between prescription medications and invasive surgical procedures.

With UroLift, there is no surgical removal or destruction of prostate tissue. Instead, small implants are placed inside the prostate to lift and pin the enlarged tissue out of the way, similar to how a curtain knob keeps a curtain from spilling back into a window. The procedure takes about ten minutes and provides rapid relief and recovery of BPH symptoms. In addition to the quick relief of symptoms and improved quality of life, the UroLift System is one of the only BPH procedures shown not to cause new and lasting erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction.

I am excited that MultiCare is a pioneer in offering this new procedure to patients and to have performed the very first UroLift in Tacoma. If you are experiencing symptoms of BPH, contact a MultiCare urologist near you to find out if UroLift may be an option.