Men of a certain age – generally 50 and older – dread the feeling. They dread the increased need to get up in the middle of the night to urinate. They dread the sense of never quite getting the job done.
This condition is often caused by an enlarged prostate, which is common among men of that age. Symptoms include a weakened stream, getting up at night to urinate, not emptying the bladder or accidental urination.
Aurora BayCare Urological Surgeons offers a solution for many of these men. UroLift is a minimally-invasive procedure in which enlarged prostate tissue is lifted, compressed and held out of the way with stitches, preventing that tissue from blocking the urethra and the flow of urine.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located below the bladder. It surrounds the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
UroLift is typically a 10-minute procedure done under mild sedation in an operating room.
“If you imagine the lobes of the prostate as curtains that are closed, these stitches are kind of curtain ties that kind of tack back the prostate to open things up,” says Dr. Heather Stefaniak of Aurora BayCare Urological Surgeons.
“That’s done on both sides of the prostate, so usually it’s two to three stitches on each side of the prostate to open up that channel. Basically, we’re making a wide-open channel so urine can drain.”
Men who have the UroLift procedure usually go home the same day. They enjoy a quick recovery, with no need for a catheter. Men who take blood thinners can continue to do so, even during the procedure, Stefaniak says.
The UroLift procedure is an alternative to the traditional resection of the prostate, which entails cutting prostate tissue. Resection also carries with it the risk of complications that can include bleeding and incontinence.