Cu Phan

Aug 215 min read

AQUABLATION

Updated: Dec 3

Introduction:

Aquablation therapy is the only real-time, ultrasound-guided, robotic-assisted, heat-free water jet for the treatment of BPH. At Urology Care Center, we are proud to offer this advanced, minimally invasive treatment, Using a heat-free waterjet controlled by robotic-assisted technology, this one-of-a-kind procedure can be performed on prostates of any shape and size to deliver durable, long-lasting relief with low rates of irreversible side effects.

83% men with BPH are not willing to sacrifice sexual function for symptom relief with surgery

3 in 4men with BPH feel that surgery requires a tradeoff between symptom relief and side effects

1 in 2men with BPH did not realize how important maintaining sexual function was to them before surgery

See how men regain quality of life by choosing Aquablation therapy for BPH relief

Watch Howard’s BPH journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RljPJD8zF8&t=25s

How does Aquablation Therapy work?

Aquablation therapy is a resective procedure, which means that the prostate tissue causing symptoms is surgically removed. No incision is made in the abdomen, as the prostate is reached through the urethra.

Aquablation therapy is performed in a hospital. You will be under anesthesia for the entire procedure. The procedure typically takes an hour and may involve an overnight stay.

There are two key steps to the Aquablation therapy procedure:

Step 1. Surgical Planning

Every prostate is unique in size and shape. Aquablation therapy enables Dr.Phan to customize your procedure to your specific anatomy.

How? Aquablation therapy is the only BPH surgical procedure that integrates ultrasound imaging with the standard camera (called a cystoscope). With the help of ultrasound imaging, doctors can create a detailed guide to plan the procedure, outlining the specific areas of the prostate that need removal. The tissue within the marked area of the prostate may be removed, while the tissue outside of it may remain untouched. This real-time visualization allows our Dr. Phan to map which parts of your prostate to remove and which parts to avoid, specifically enabling him to avoid removing areas that could cause irreversible complications like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and incontinence.

[Video] Step 1 - Surgical Planning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWqVac-XqZI

Step 2. Prostate Tissue Removal

Once our surgeons or Dr. Phan has created a surgical map, a robotic-assisted system follows the surgical plan and resects the targeted prostate tissue using a heat-free waterjet. This advanced technology helps ensure precise, consistent, and predictable removal of the tissue. When required, our surgeons or Dr. Phan may use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation procedure to control bleeding.

[Video] Step 2 - Prostate Tissue Removal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWnKf93CJhw

What are the side effects of Aquablation Therapy?

We know that the primary reason men are delaying surgery is because they are concerned about side effects.4 In fact, a recent survey shows that 85% of men are concerned that surgery will cause incontinence, and 4 out of 5 men are concerned that surgery will have a permanent impact on their sexual function.4 https://aquablation.com/safety-information/

In clinical studies, men who had Aquablation therapy had a very low rate of irreversible complications, such as incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, and erectile dysfunction.

100% of patients had no impact on erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, or overall sexual satisfaction

89%men with BPH preserve ejaculatory function with Aquablation therapy

>99%men with BPH did not have incontinence after Aquablation therapy

Is Aquablation Therapy right for you?

Aquablation therapy is a different kind of surgical procedure. There are many reasons it may be right for you, but make sure to discuss with Dr. Phan to see if you’re a candidate.

1. Low Rates of Irreversible Complications

Aquablation therapy has very low rates of irreversible complications (incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction) because:1-2

It is the only procedure that gives surgeons the ability to view the entire prostate so they can create a map that avoids the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications.
It is the only procedure that uses a heat-free waterjet to remove prostate tissue. Technologies that use heat to remove prostate tissue may be damaging to the parts of the prostate that control erectile function and ejaculatory function. It should be noted that surgeons may use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation therapy procedure to control bleeding.

2. Confidence in Procedure

Aquablation therapy is the only procedure that resects prostate tissue with a robotically controlled waterjet, designed to minimize human error.

3. Long-Term Relief

In clinical studies, Aquablation therapy has been shown to provide long-term relief at 5 years.

4. Exceptional results vs TURP

When compared with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), Aquablation therapy demonstrated:5

Showed similar symptom relief
Lower complication rate
Fewer retreatments

5. Exceptional efficacy

Aquablation therapy patients on average experienced:1-3

16-point improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score
3.3 -point improvement in quality of life
2x improvement in urinary flow rate

https://aquablation.com/safety-information/

Take the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) Quiz to measure how severe your symptoms are.

Take the Sexual Function Quiz to help you determine if maintaining sexual function after BPH surgery is important to you.

96%men with BPH wished their doctors would have discussed Aquablation therapy with them4

94%men with BPH would have considered Aquablation therapy if their doctor had told them about it1-4

Aquablation Therapy Recovery

As with most benign prostatic hyperplasia procedures, you will wake up with a catheter following Aquablation therapy, which allows you to urinate while your urethra heals. The procedure may involve an overnight stay in the hospital. The benefit with Aquablation therapy is that most patients end up leaving the hospital without a catheter.1,2,4

Once you’re home, you may notice for several weeks a mild burning sensation and urinary urgency, a sudden and intense need to urinate that is difficult to hold off. This can be managed with mild pain medication. Patients can resume their normal activities once approved by their doctor.

Please refer to the discharge instructions provided by your surgeon.

For more information, visit https://aquablation.com/safety-information/

[H2] Have questions or want more information?

For more information, call us at (949)-718-4315, and visit Aquablation.com for Frequently Asked Questions.

To stay up to date on all things related to Aquablation therapy, follow Aquablation therapy on Facebook and Twitter.

REFERENCES

Gilling PJ et al. Five-year outcomes for Aquablation therapy compared to TURP: results from a double-blind, randomized trial in men with LUTS due to BPH. Can J Urol. 2022 Feb;29(1):10960-10968.
Bhojani N, et al. Aquablation Therapy in Large Prostates (80-150 mL) for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Final WATER II 5-Year Clinical Trial Results. J Urol. 2023;210(1):143-153.
Elterman D, et al. BMJ Surg Interv Health Technol. 2021
Data on file at PROCEPT BioRobotics.
5. Oumedjbeur K, et al. Can J Urol. 2023.

FINE PRINT

Risk and Safety Information https://aquablation.com/safety-information/

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY: AquaStart Program materials are provided at no cost as part of PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation’s (“PROCEPT”) product support efforts and commitment to enhance surgeon proficiency with, and patient awareness of, Aquablation Therapy. The provision of these materials does not constitute an offer or payment of any remuneration to induce or reward the use, order, arrangement, recommendation or referral of any PROCEPT product or service. These materials do not constitute legal or medical advice. PROCEPT assumes no liability for your use of the materials, for maintaining the accuracy of the content or references, and the manner in which you use the materials.