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New Thermal-Energy Treatment for Enlarged Prostate at Tallwood Men’s Health

June 28, 2021

Benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) is a condition affecting more than half of American men over the age of 50, many of whom can be effectively helped with medication. When that doesn’t work, Hartford HealthCare’s Tallwood Men’s Health now offers a new thermal energy technology to remove the extra tissue affecting men’s ability to easily and comfortably urinate.

With BPH, the prostate becomes enlarged in older men as they experience decreased levels of testosterone and higher levels of estrogen in the blood. The estrogen, a female hormone men produce in small quantities, can actually promote prostate cell growth.

“BPH can cause a range of symptoms including frequent urination, weak or slow urine stream and difficulty starting urination,” said Dr. Jared Bieniek, medical director of Tallwood Men’s Health.

In extreme cases, men can experience urinary retention, incontinence and the feeling that they cannot completely empty their bladder.

“Abnormal urination can greatly affect a man’s life, causing him to abandon hobbies, travel and other things that bring him happiness,” Dr. Bieniek said.

Rezūm is a minimally invasive procedure designed to help restore urinary function in men with BPH, using thermal energy in the form of steam.

The procedure includes the following steps:

  • The specially-trained urologist uses a handheld device that generates steam with radiofrequency power.
  • One end of the device is placed into the urethra in the penis. The urologist releases controlled doses of wet thermal energy to targeted areas of the prostate and constricting tissue.
  • The condensation releases stored thermal energy to the tissue cells.
  • The device is removed.
  • Targeted tissue is absorbed by the body over the next few weeks.

Most patients can go home without a catheter after a Rezūm procedure, and many experience relief of their BPH symptoms within a week or two.

Side effects can include: urinary frequency or urgency; transient fluid retention; persistent urinary symptoms; stricture or contracture; painful urination; blood in semen; decreased ejaculate volume; or injury to urethra, bladder or ureteral orifices.

“Rezūm is a minimally-invasive way we can help restore quality of life for men with troublesome BPH,” Dr. Bieniek said.