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| SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022
Men’s Health Aquablation Therapy is an advanced, minimally invasive BPH treatment that uses the power of water delivered with robotic precision.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF ISTOCK)
By Cori Urban
by robotic technology to remove prostate tissue. “It ensures that tissue Men dealing with benign removal is done consistently prostatic hyperplasia (also and predictably,” said Dr. called prostate gland enlargement), a noncancerous Cory D. Harris, another urologist on staff at Cooley Dickinenlargement of the prostate gland, will soon have a “revo- son Hospital. lutionary” type of treatment Patient satisfaction rates are comparable to more invasive available to them at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. procedures without the side effects, Sonn added. Aquablation therapy is an advanced, minimally invasive In clinical studies, he noted, men who had aquablation BPH treatment that uses the power of water delivered with therapy had a low rate of comrobotic precision. plications like incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction and According to Dr. Donald J. erectile dysfunction. Sonn, a urologist on staff at The doctors hope to begin Cooley Dickinson Hospital, the procedure has been being aquablation therapy at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in mid to used throughout the country late June. in larger medical facilities, “We are excited to offer this and he is excited to bring this technology to Western technology to our communiMassachusetts. “I believe it’s ty,” said Christina M. Trinchero, a hospital spokesperson. revolutionary” with a lower risk of bleeding, infection and The prostate gland is located retrograde ejaculation, he under the bladder. The tube that transports urine from said. “It’s a huge movement the bladder out of the penis forward in treating enlarged prostates.” (urethra) passes through the Aquablation therapy is a center of the prostate. When the prostate enlarges, it begins safe and effective treatment to block urine flow. for patients suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms Sonn explained that benign prostatic hyperplasia is a bedue to BPH. It can be pernign enlargement of the gland formed on prostates of any that happens over time and size and shape. Aquablation therapy is a can create an obstruction. An resective procedure; the pros- enlarged prostate gland can tate tissue causing symptoms cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms like blocking the is removed. The prostate is reached through the urethra flow of urine out of the bladso no incision is made. It uses der. It can also cause blada heat-free waterjet controlled der, urinary tract or kidney Special To The Republican
Risk factors for prostate gland enlargement include aging, family history, diabetes, heart disease and obesity; exercise can lower the risk. “There have been studies that have shown that low-intensity physical activity like regular walks can have some symptom reduction.” - Dr. Cory Harris
Top: Urologist Cory D. Harris, MD, is on staff at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton and is a physician at the Urology Group of Western New England. Bottom: Urologist Donald J. Sonn, MD, is excited to bring Aquablation therapy for the treatment of enlarged prostates to Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Western Massachusetts. Sonn is on staff at Cooley Dickinson Hospital and is a physician at the Urology Group of Western New England. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF COOLEY DICKINSON HOSPITAL)
problems. It affects men of all races and begins to be more prevalent at about the age of 40, he said. Most men have continued prostate growth throughout life. This continued growth enlarges the prostate enough to cause urinary symptoms or to significantly block urine flow. The size of a man’s prostate doesn’t necessarily determine the severity of his symptoms. Some men with only slightly enlarged prostates might have significant symptoms, while men with very enlarged prostates might have only minor urinary symptoms. Symptoms of BPH include incomplete bladder emptying, more frequent urination, stopand-start urination, a feeling or urgency to pass urine and a weak stream. Harris said men with these symptoms should see a doctor; further diagnosis can be made through scans of the bladder to see how well it empties and through physical exams. Treatments for prostate gland enlargement, in addition to aquablation therapy, include medication and surgery. Medications can relax the prostate so the flow of urine can be stronger. “These often are very helpful,” Sonn said. Men who need more than medical therapy may con-
sider trans urethral resection of the prostate in which an instrument is inserted into the urethra to make the channel wider. But this could cause complications like bleeding, infections, incontinence and retrograde ejaculation, the doctor said. Risk factors for prostate gland enlargement include aging, family history, diabetes, heart disease and obesity; exercise can lower the risk. “There have been studies that have shown that low-intensity physical activity like regular walks can have some symptom reduction,” Harris said. Harris, who received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, and Sonn, who received his from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, are part of the Urology Group of Western New England. They estimate the group sees over five thousand BPH patients annually with about 150 having surgery or some kind of procedure to help with the condition. According to hopkinsmedicine.org, symptoms related to BPH are present in about one in four men by age 55 and in half of 75-year-old men. By age 80, some 20 to 30 percent of men experience BPH symptoms severe enough to require treatment.