This innovative procedure helps improve the quality of your husband’s life with a quick, minimally invasive procedure — and will help you and your husband get a good night’s sleep again.

We reached out to Leo R. Doumanian, MD, associate professor of clinical urology who practices at the USC Institute of Urology of Keck Medicine of USC and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital to learn more about UroLift. This new, exciting and effective treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is currently only offered at limited facilities in the Los Angeles area, including Keck Medicine of USC and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.

What is Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy?

As a man ages, his prostate enlarges; it is estimated that more than 50 percent of men in their 60s have BPH symptoms. As the prostate grows, the urethral lumen becomes compressed, causing obstruction to urinary flow and symptoms. Though these symptoms are not life threatening, they can be extremely annoying and can affect a man’s quality of life (as well as his partner’s!).

These include:

  • Waking up frequently in the middle of the night to urinate
  • An urgent and frequent need to urinate during the day, sometimes every 15 to 30 minutes
  • Having to push to expel the urine; in some cases it can be several minutes before initiation of the urinary flow
  • Having a decreased force of stream
  • A feeling that the bladder hasn’t completely emptied
  • A urinary stream that stops and starts

Women who are tired of being woken up in the middle of the night by their husband’s trips to the bathroom are often the first to suggest that their husband visit a urologist for treatment.

How Does UroLift Work?

UroLift is a minimally-invasive, in-office procedure that takes as little as 10 to 20 minutes under local anesthesia. During the procedure, the urologist places tiny implants to “lift” or hold enlarged prostatic lobes to the side (picture a curtain tie back). This relieves pressure on the urethra. Because the urethra is no longer compressed, urine flows normally and the symptoms are resolved. The treatment is durable. Your husband will more than likely be able to go home the same day of the procedure without a catheter.

Why is UroLift Better Than Other Treatments?

UroLift is less invasive and less risky than other treatments. Before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved UroLift in 2013, doctors used electrosurgical current and energy or lasers to cut or vaporize the bulky, prostatic tissue. These procedures took anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes and carried a risk of bleeding.

UroLift decreases potential risks and offers a significant positive impact on quality of life. Additionally, Urolift has a greatly decreased risk of sexual side effects such as retrograde ejaculation. Because the tissue isn’t removed, there is always the option to explore more invasive procedures down the line if needed.

Who Is A Good Candidate for UroLift?

Any man who is bothered by his urinary symptoms is an ideal candidate to discuss this new, revolutionary treatment with their urologist. BPH affects men of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities.

If your husband is waking you up at night to urinate, is tired of running back and forth to the bathroom and suffers from urinary hesitancy and decreased force of stream, encourage him to make an appointment with a urologist.

Our doctors can always screen for prostate cancer, which is part of the evaluation for a voiding dysfunction.

If your husband is experiencing BPH symptoms, make an appointment with a urologist. To learn more about the USC Institute of Urology, visit http://urology.keckmedicine.org.

By Anne Fritz