Many middle-aged and elderly men are living with enlarged prostate (BPH – Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) symptoms, which can worsen with age. According to the latest data released by the FDA, more than 50% of men aged 60 to 69 have related symptoms, and more than 90% of men aged 70 to 89 have varying degrees of BPH.
There are various treatments, such as medication, ablation and surgery. However, such treatments usually don’t provide adequate relief, and may even cause complications, like sexual dysfunction.
Some people just ignore the problem, which can deteriorate. Severe Benign Prostate Hyperplasia may lead to a variety of complications, such as acute difficulty of urination, urinary retention, urinary tract infection, bladder stones, bladder or kidney damage, and even renal insufficiency.
Well, there’s good news., United Family Hospital has become the first medical facility on the Chinese mainland to introduce UroLift, an advanced minimally invasive therapy for BPH. And they have successfully completed a transurethral prostate expansion.
The Case
Dr. Zhou Lan, an expert in urology at Shanghai United Family Hospital, said the patient suffered from Benign Prostate Hyperplasia with Lower Urinary Tract Symptom (BPH / LUTS). Three hospitals had tried a drug treatment program. After taking the medicine, the urination symptoms were improved, but the side effect of the medicine made the patient have secondary symptoms such as dizziness, which affected his quality of life.
After learning that Shanghai United Family Hospital had introduced a new minimally invasive surgical procedure, the patient came to the Department of Urology for consultation.
Dr. Qi Jun, Chief Urologist at Shanghai United Family Hospital, received the consultation personally, and quickly organized a number of experts in related fields for comprehensive consultation.
Among them, Professor Run Wang of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center participated in the consultation remotely. After careful evaluation by a number of experts, a detailed and personalized surgical plan was carefully customized according to the specific symptoms of the patient.
The Procedure
Dr. Qi Jun and Dr. Zhou Lan performed the procedure, which took just 20 just minutes, at the Day Surgery Center of Shanghai United Family Hospital. There was almost no bleeding during the operation, and the patient completed urination after awakening.
He was discharged from the hospital and on his way home – a relieved man – just four hours after surgery. The patient and family members expressed their heartfelt thanks to the medical team who performed the operation.
“The successful implementation of the operation was due to the close cooperation between the multidisciplinary medical team of the United Family Minimally Invasive Surgery Center and the advanced remote consultation method,” said Dr. Qi Jun.
“This enables foreign experts in the field to participate in the formulation of the surgical plan and the surgical process, ensuring the patient's effective diagnosis and treatment. It is the embodiment of the core concept of ‘patient-centered’ we ascribe to at United Family.”
Professor Run Wang, who participated in the remote consultation and surgery, is also very optimistic about the prospects of the application of UroLift surgery in the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, seeing it as the future trend of development.
Dr. Zhou Lan was equally enthusiastic in looking to the future: “The first transurethral prostate expansion in East China was successful. We are happy, but also feel more responsibility. We will continue to work hard on technical training and operational practices to allow the newly introduced UroLift minimally invasive surgery to benefit more middle-aged and elderly male patients in China.”
How it Works
Compared to traditional surgery, UroLift does not do tissue cutting damage, greatly shortening the recovery time. It also means the vast majority of patients do not need a catheter after surgery. As such, the treatment of BPH / LUTS patients can become ‘day surgery.’
The UroLift technology was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) in 2013. It has been used for nearly 10 years internationally and has been supported by a number of clinical studies, with nearly 400 thousand patients receiving treatment with the technology.
China Food and Drug Administration approved the use of UroLift on the Chinese Mainland in 2022, paving the way for Shanghai United Family Hospital’s groundbreaking procedure.
If you or a family member has a urinary related disease, you can make an appointment at Shanghai United Family Hospital by…
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