Key Questions to Ask Your Urologist About BPH Treatments
If you’re a man over 50 seeking medical attention for bothersome urinary symptoms, like the urgent need to urinate, frequent trips to the bathroom and/or occasional incontinence, making an appointment with your urologist may be the first step towards relief!
A broad array of treatment options are available for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate. Before you meet with your urologist, here are some key questions to consider asking during your appointment to ensure you and your doctor are working together to find a solution that’s right for you.
1. What is the size of my prostate?
Prostate enlargement is a normal part of aging. Over the years, the prostate will slowly grow, restricting urine flow through your urethra from your bladder. As prostate size increases, the number of minimally invasive treatment options available decreases. That’s why it’s important to speak to your doctor as soon as you notice that you are experiencing bothersome urinary symptoms that may be a result of BPH.1
2. Do I have a high or tight bladder neck?
Only your urologist can determine what is causing your difficulty urinating. Many popular treatment options for BPH are not a fit for people with a high or tight bladder neck.2,3 iTind, a minimally invasive treatment option for BPH, works to treat people experiencing symptoms as a result of BPH even if they have a high or tight bladder neck, or a combination of both.
3. What impact do treatment options have on sexual function?
Minimally invasive treatment options for BPH such as iTind do not impact sexual function.4 By contrast, many surgical options can potentially result in sexual dysfunction.5 If maintaining sexual function is important to you, be sure to ask your urologist about treatment options that do not have retrograde ejaculation or erectile dysfunction as side effects.
4. Can this treatment option be performed in a urologist’s office?
Ask your urologist if you are a good candidate for a minimally invasive treatment option that can be performed in-office, such as iTind.
5. Does this treatment option require catheterization after the procedure?
Many patients prefer to avoid the discomfort of postoperative catheterization. Your urologist can tell you which treatment options typically require post-operative catheterization.
Overall, it’s important to consider how your circumstances and preferences affect the treatment options you choose for BPH. Being open with your urologist about the side effects you’re hoping to avoid can help ensure you choose a treatment option that fits your lifestyle. By working with your doctor to decipher the differences between all of the treatment options available to you for BPH, there will be one less barrier between you and relief.
Disclaimer: iTind is a temporary device for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to enlarged prostate. Speak with your urologist to see if iTind is the right treatment for you. Implantation of the iTind system may cause urinary urgency, pelvic discomfort, dysuria and hematuria. In rare cases, iTind may cause urinary tract infection and acute urinary retention.
References:
1. Parsons JK, Dahm P, Köhler TS, et al. Surgical management of lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia: AUA Guideline amendment 2020. J Urol. 2020; 204:799.
2. rezūm™ Delivery Device Kit for BPH. https://www.bostonscientific.com/content/dam/bostonscientific/uro-wh/portfolio-group/lithotripsy/rezum/50998296-01a_rezum_dfu_en_s.pdf. Updated October 2019. Accessed June 11, 2021.
3. UroLift® System Instructions for Use. https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2618738/L00174-02%20Rev%20A,%20Artwork,%20UroLift%20System,%20Instructions%20for%20Use,%20OUS.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2021.
4. Chughtai B, Elterman D, Shore N, et al. The iTind Temporarily Implanted Nitinol Device for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial. Urology. 2020;S0090-4295(20)31520-X. DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2020.12.022
5. Rieken M, Antunes-Lopes T, Geavlete B, Marcelissen T. What is new with sexual side effects after transurethral male lower urinary tract symptom surgery? European urology focus. 2018; 4(1):43-45.
