BPH Treatment in London

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition of many older men, and the laser treatment for BPH can seem overwhelming. Medstar Clinic offers different services for BPH Treatment in London. 

London BPH treatment offers several advantages and disadvantages to keep in mind. One of London’s leading private health clinics, Medstar Men’s Health and Urology Clinic, offers the full spectrum of treatment for BPH, or an enlarged prostate. 

The disease, affecting most men around their middle age, can result in urinary pains such as frequent peeing, spongy flow, and urgency. More severe BPH, for example, can cause more serious problems such as kidney failure.

In this article, we will explore the various BPH treatment options, their benefits and drawbacks, and educate you on the best treatments. We are going to discuss the treatment of BPH at Medstar Clinic London, drugs, surgery, and the newest minimally invasive treatments. 

We will walk you through the pros and cons of both to figure out which is best for you. You can decide what treatment approach best suits your circumstances and lifestyle with our experienced urologists at Medstar Clinic.

What is BPH Treatment?

BPH is an abnormal, non-cancerous growth of the prostate gland that encircles the urethra under the bladder. As the prostate grows, it can compress the urethra and impair normal urine flow. BPH is characterised by repeated urination, urinating on a regular basis, a slow urine flow, straining to urinate, dribbling after urination, and waking up several times throughout the night to urinate.

The BPH treatment tries to prevent the symptoms by allowing the blocked urethra to open so urine can flow more freely. The Medstar Clinic offers minimally invasive and surgical options, depending on the severity of a patient’s symptoms and general well-being. Each BPH treatment aims to treat urinary symptoms while maintaining sexual ability and bladder control.

BPH Treatment Advantages and Disadvantages

The most commonly used BPH treatments are medications, surgical interventions (such as transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT) and transurethral needle ablation (TUNA)), and minimally invasive surgery. Both BPH treatment advantages and disadvantages differ. 

Therefore, you need to weigh in determining the best course of treatment with our doctors. Medications are an ideal first-line treatment as they are painless and effectively control mild to moderate BPH symptoms. But there are side effects with medicines, and the symptoms come back when you stop taking them.

Ultra-thin-line procedures such as TUMT and TUNA may achieve immediate symptomatic relief but may require repeat sessions. Recovery times are quicker than surgery, but side effects such as urinary tract irritation can still occur.

Surgical treatment for severe BPH is very effective, but it comes at a higher cost. There are several surgical options, from transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to the newer laser techniques. Surgery offers the most effective and longest-lasting relief of urinary symptoms.

Can BPH Cause Kidney Problems?

Men often wonder whether an enlarged prostate due to BPH is likely to cause kidney issues. The short answer is that in some instances it can, if not managed properly. Here is a brief overview:

The enlarged prostate that develops from BPH can begin to swell the urethra and hinder the escape of urine from the bladder. In time, this entrapment may wear away the bladder walls. Also, it can be difficult to empty the bladder completely while urinating. Keeping urine leftover in the bladder is one of the risk factors for a urinary tract infection (UTI).

If UTIs come back frequently because of incomplete emptying, they can reinfiltrate into the kidneys and damage them. This is called reflux nephropathy. Even constant pressure strains the kidneys as they push urine down the narrowed urethra. In more extreme cases, BPH could start to fail over the long term due to this back pressure, especially if left untreated for years.

But keep in mind that kidney damage is usually only an issue in men with very large prostates and significant BPH symptoms. Having it treated early before the obstruction is too late can help reduce or prevent serious complications such as chronic kidney disease. Make sure to check in with your doctor regularly. You can also benefit from our Medstar Superman or Medstar Active Man Health Packages!

Can BPH Cause Testicular Pain?

Another common worry is whether BPH will cause testicular pain. The symptoms of a larger prostate are not specific to the testicles, though some studies have associated BPH with testicular pain. Here is a brief overview:

The prostate wraps around the urethra below the bladder. For men with BPH, the bladder can become narrowed or compressed by expanding prostate tissue. This narrowing of the urethra is the most prominent cause of urinary impotence and urinary symptoms.

But below the prostate, the space where the urethra meets the penis is called the prostate fossa. In some men, the growing prostate will start pressing on this spot as it becomes larger. The nerves that provide sensation to the testicles flit around here.

As the prostate itself is extremely big, and nerves are exposed to extreme pressure, it can cause localised pain or discomfort in either or both testicles. The pain is usually mild to moderate and radiates from the front of the scrotum to the body.

Although BPH does not affect the testicles, nerve compression in the very large prostates can lead to testicular pain. Looking for treatment can alleviate this prostate-related ache in the long run. Medstar Clinic is here for you in this sense.If you want to further explore, make sure to check out “London Urology Specialists: How to Choose?” and “Private Urology Clinic Near Me in London” 

Can You Have BPH and Prostatitis at the Same Time?

There is an often asked question: Will the same man develop BPH (enlarged prostate) and prostatitis (inflamed prostate) simultaneously? The answer is that in some instances, yes, those two conditions can occur side by side if there are risk factors involved. Here is a closer look:

BPH is an enlargement of the prostate that is not cancerous, and most men experience it at some point in their lives. The prostate has evolved hormonal fluctuations and cell proliferation that affect it over the course of a lifetime of decades. 

Conversely, prostatitis is a condition of inflammation or infection of the prostate that may happen at any age. This condition comes with its own symptoms, such as pelvic pain, burning while urinating, and sexual impairment.

While there are various causes of BPH and prostatitis, there is only one gland in the prostate. This makes it possible, anatomically, for two distinct pathologies to play against one another in certain circumstances. Risk factors that could make a man susceptible to developing both conditions concurrently include:

• Family history of prostatitis

• History of frequent UTIs or STIs

• Constipation or ongoing pelvic floor tension

• Some of these drugs, such as alpha blockers, would in principle lead to increased bacterial growth risk.

And being BPH is not necessarily a prerequisite for having prostatitis, or vice versa. A urologist would have to check and test it thoroughly to diagnose both of these disorders if both exist together. Treatment would then focus on the inflammatory side and the urinary symptoms.

Which Procedure is a Common Treatment for BPH?

The standard surgical treatment for BPH is transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). In a TURP, surgeons access the body through a tube called a resectoscope. The prostate tissue that clogs the urethra is then extracted using a cutting tool. TURP is remarkably effective in reducing urinary flow and symptoms but has the potential for bleeding, infection, and retrograde ejaculation.

More recently, alternative treatments to traditional TURP have been increasingly common in the form of newer BPH laser treatments. The latter includes photoselective vaporisation of the prostate (PVP), which is also known as greenlight laser therapy or laser vaporisation. 

PVP involves cutting prostate tissue obstructing the urethra using a special laser fibre to heat and evaporate it painlessly. In comparison to TURP, PVP can cause less bleeding, fewer side effects, and a shorter catheter stay. Most patients are able to return home the same day that PVP is performed.

What is the Safest Treatment for BPH?

As far as BPH treatment is concerned, minimally invasive techniques such as medications and minimally ablative procedures are less prone to complications than surgery. Yet for men with extreme, edgy symptoms not responsive to other treatments, surgery can offer the best chance of meaningful symptom relief.

Out of the surgical alternatives, newer laser treatments for BPH, such as PVP, tend to be less risky than open surgery or even TURP. Laser surgery, such as PVP, can remove blocked prostate tissue with unparalleled accuracy. 

This makes it possible for surgeons to do their work more selectively without destroying nearby structures such as nerves that regulate erections and continence. Therefore, laser procedures could prevent complications such as bleeding, erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence that can result from other surgical procedures.

At Medstar Clinic, our board-certified urologists are up-to-date with the latest laser treatments for BPH, and we advise each patient on procedural risks tailored to his or her case. In most men, a laser treatment might be the best option to achieve a superior level of symptom reduction without having to sacrifice safety.

Do I Need to Stay on Long-Term Treatment for BPH?

For some BPH patients, continued treatment is required to keep the unpleasant urinal symptoms at bay. This is especially true of patients with minimally invasive procedures or oral medications, where symptoms are more likely to flare up after the end of therapy.

But any BPH treatment must aim to manage symptoms of BPH without, if possible, the need for lifelong therapy. The surgery is designed to offer a permanent remedy by dissolving the expanded prostate tissue that is blocking the passage.

With laser prostatectomy therapies such as PVP, many patients report a substantial, permanent reduction in their urinary symptoms after just one outpatient visit. Although BPH is a non-cancerous, progressive disorder, more than 80 percent of men remain symptom-free for at least 5 years after PVP, regardless of follow-up treatment. 

That is why laser surgery is popular with men who do not want medication or multiple treatments. Of course, it remains advisable to visit a urologist post-BPH treatment to assess symptoms and monitor prostate function. But in appropriate patients, laser surgery could eradicate the root cause of BPH in a single operation, and it could leave a long-lasting legacy.

What is the Best Surgical Treatment for BPH?

After medications and minimally invasive surgeries no longer control severe bladder discomfort brought on by an overfilled prostate, surgery is an increasingly appealing option. When it comes to selecting the best surgical treatment for BPH, you have to take into account a man’s overall health, level of symptoms, tolerance for risk, and desired results.

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) had been the standard procedure for decades. Yet more recent laser treatments have since proven promising replacements for TURP. One of the most sophisticated is photoselective vaporisation of the prostate (PVP)—also known as greenlight laser treatment.

In comparison with TURP, PVP features the following advantages:

• Lower bleeding risk, potentially reducing time in the hospital.

• Better recovery and quicker return to work.

• Rare need for postoperative catheterisation

• Lower adverse effects, including erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence risk.

• Clean, bloodless removal leaves minimal scarring in the structures around it.

Although both TURP and laser prostatectomy are extremely effective, most urologists now agree that PVP is the standard surgical treatment for clinically significant BPH. Our surgeons at Medstar Clinic are highly trained and can advise you on whether a laser treatment is the right option for your long-term relief of unpleasant urinary symptoms. 

Patients are also encouraged to request an appointment over the internet and speak privately with a urologist about all of the BPH treatment options. Medstar Clinic offers a broad range of individually tailored BPH treatments, from oral medications and minimally invasive procedures to complex laser procedures. 

The aim of our surgery is to successfully treat and safely eliminate embarrassing urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate in the best possible way. PVP is a surgical choice, but it might not be right for all patients. We recommend that you consult with a senior urologist for the most appropriate BPH treatment.

You can book your appointment with Medstar Men’s Health and Urology Clinic easily via our website or the Medstar app, which is available both on the Google Play Store and App Store.

What is the Latest Treatment for BPH?

In terms of BPH, new minimally invasive procedures have developed in recent years, offering patients an alternative to drug treatment or surgery. Let’s take a look at some of the latest treatments for BPH available:

• Urolift: This FDA-approved procedure consists of small permanent implants that are positioned to raise and support enlarged prostate tissue out of the way of the urethra. It eases urinary symptoms similar to TURP but allows men to regain control faster and without complications.

• Rezum: An advanced form of water vapour therapy that injects precise heat into the prostate with tiny needles. It removes fat from the prostate and increases blood flow and typically has fewer side effects than TURP. The recovery process is typically quicker too.

• UroLase: the newest BPH laser treatment available in the UK. It uses laser light emitted through the urethra to heat up prostate tissue and eliminate congestion. Early results compare with traditional surgical treatments for symptom relief and flow enhancement.

• Aquablation: This cutting-edge waterjet ablation procedure irrigates the prostate by applying high-pressure saline to sculpt the prostate. Trials show quicker symptom relief and urinary flow rates than other top therapies.

All these minimally invasive procedures could allow men to return to daily life sooner, with less risk of bleeding, impotence, or incontinence compared with open surgery. They usually fit prostates up to a certain size.

BPH Treatment UK with Medstar London

The Medstar Clinic in London provides a comprehensive set of medical and surgical options for BPH treatment UK. First-line treatment for mild-moderate urinary symptoms typically includes lifestyle modifications and oral medications such as alpha-blockers or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors.

If the condition is advanced or medications fail to cure it, minimally invasive procedures may be warranted. Surgical removal of larger prostates (large prostates, or TURP) is still the gold standard for the treatment of large prostate enlargement when symptoms are intense.

Our specialist urologists will discuss all treatments with you at your consultation, evaluate your medical history and onset of symptoms, and determine which method is best suited to your situation. We are committed to delivering the best and most up-to-date BPH treatments in the UK. 

To resolve urinary symptoms and concerns, you can book an appointment online today with Medstar Clinic. You can also contact us directly. We want to restore bladder control and movement in your life with as little risk or side effects as possible. Let us help you cure your overenlarged prostate!

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