Rezum Steam Treatment For Prostate

Pros And Cons Of Rezum

Rezum is a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as BPH. This condition is age-related and becoming more common in men between 50 and 60 years of age.

It happens when an enlarged prostate leads presses on the urethra and obstructs urine flow.

BPH can cause issues with the bladder, kidneys and urinary tract. It is not a type of cancer but its possible to have cancer and BPH simultaneously, both of which would affect urine flow.

There is a 90% chance of BPH in males over 80 years which means an aging population is going to lead to an uptick in diagnoses.

BPH symptoms include a strong urge to urinate, irregular flow, frequent urination, straining during urination, having to urinate in the middle of the night, and a weak stream.

A family history of BPH can increase the likelihood of developing it.

BPH can be treated with various techniques. Transurethral resection and open surgery have been used in recent times.

However these include the risk of side effects such as erectile dysfunction, retrograde ejaculation, urinary incontinence, and bleeding heavy enough for transfusion.

There are also techniques which are less invasive, including enucleation or laser vaporization of the prostate.

Enucleation in particular yields impressive results in the long term.

Despite this, the technique can result in retrograde ejaculation in between 60 and 90% of cases.

There two techniques can be combined.

Highly Recommend Dr Elterman And The Rezm Procedure

Dr. Dean Elterman and his team of medical professionals treated my dad with the Rezm procedure for an enlarged prostate. The procedure went well but unbeknownst to everyone, my dad had kidney stones that hindered his recovery, leading to a blocked ureter, UTI, acute renal failure and urinary retention. Dr. Elterman and his team was monitoring my dad’s recovery every step of the way and accurately guiding us to seek emergency help. Following the removal of my dad’s kidney stones and 6 weeks of IV antibiotics, my father is finally catheter-free, voiding on his own and feeling like his former, healthier self. We’ve dealt with many medical clinics over the years. Dr. Elterman and his team are one of the most responsive, reliable, intelligent and caring medical professionals we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. How often do doctors give their personal cell number to patients? Dr. Elterman did. He trusts that his patients will not abuse the kindness, but he makes himself available and responds promptly when contacted. He is brilliant, compassionate and a gem of a doctor. We highly recommend him and his Rezm procedure.

K. M.

How Does Rezum Work

Rezum uses water vapour to remove enlarged prostate tissue that is compressing the urethra and disrupting the flow of urine from the bladder.

During the treatment, sterile water vapour is released at targeted locations throughout the prostate. When the steam contacts the prostate tissue, all the stored energy is released into the tissue.

Over 2 weeks to 3 months, your body absorbs the treated tissue, shrinking the prostate. With the extra tissue removed, the urethra opens, reducing BPH symptoms.

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Is Rezm Therapy Right For You

The best way to find out is by talking with a doctor to determine if Rezm Water Vapor Therapy is a good treatment for you based on your symptoms and treatment goals. Start by taking ourBPH Quiz. Then bring the results with you to your appointment. Need to find a doctor who specializes in Rezm Water Vapor Therapy? Use our Doctor Finder to locate one near you.

Potential Side Effects Of Rezum

Rezum has been proven to decrease urinary symptoms in men diagnosed with the condition known as BPH or an enlarged prostate.

Regarded as a minimally invasive procedure, Rezum has gone onto demonstrate less side effects when compared to the types typically experienced with the BPH surgical procedures. However, just like any of the other interventional procedures, one or more of these side effects maybe temporarily experienced:

Frequent urination

An inability to empty ones bladder completely or to urinate

The need for a catheterization on a short term basis

The majority of the above mentioned occurrences typically resolve within the first 3 weeks after the procedure. However, in some cases these effects can be prolonged.

It is always best to talk with a doctor about any ways to help minimize effects associated with these risks. Some patients have discovered that these options can assist in relieving discomfort during the healing process:

Eliminating alcohol, chocolate and caffeine from the diet

Sitting on top of a hot-water bottle or taking warm baths

Taking mild pain meds like Tylenol

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Minimally Invasive Procedure Involves Injecting Steam To Destroy Excess Prostate Tissue

24 June 2020

Up to 10,000 men with an enlarged prostate could receive a new treatment which improves their quality of life and preserves their sexual function, under new guidance from NICE.

NICE has recommended the use of Rezum, a minimally invasive procedure that involves injecting steam to destroy excess prostate tissue.

Some current treatments use heat to destroy excess prostate tissue and this can have considerable side effects.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the medical term used to describe a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate. Symptoms like needing to pass urine more frequently, trouble starting to urinate and loss of bladder control affect more than a third of men over the age of 50.

The prostate is a small walnut sized gland found only in men. It produces the fluid component of semen and grows naturally with age. Problems occur when the change in size puts pressure on the tubes that drain urine from the bladder.

Clinical evidence analysed by NICEs medical technology advisory committee shows that using the Rezum procedure relieves lower urinary tract symptoms caused by BPH in men with moderate to severe symptoms who have a moderately enlarged prostate.

Evidence also shows that using Rezum is associated with improved quality of life and a low risk of sexual dysfunction.

Rezum is cost saving compared with standard treatments such as transurethral resection of the prostate and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate by more than £550 per person over 4 years.

What To Expect Before Rezum

To help assess whether a patient is a good candidate for Rezum, the doctor will use a flow rate bladder scan to see how well the patient is emptying. The patient may also be asked to keep track of the amounts of fluids that he drinks and voids. After this evaluation, the doctor will perform a prostate ultrasound and take a telescopic look at the prostate.

At the pre-procedure visit, the patient receives detailed instructions on pre- and postoperative care. He will also receive an antibiotic prescription that should be started the night before the procedure, as well as an anti-anxiety prescription. Anti-inflammatories are given the day before and after the procedure. An alpha blocker prescription is usually given to improve the flow of urine after the procedure.

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Why Should Steam Be The Preferred Treatment

In the Rezm Therapy procedure, steam delivers convective energy. RF energy is applied to water, and the water carries energy until it phase-shifts into steam. When the steam is delivered to the tissue, it condenses back into water delivering the stored energy convectively. This is an efficient and uniform way to transfer therapeutic energy inside the body because the vapor is convectively dispersed through the interstitial space in the prostate tissue, and the energy is delivered in a matter of seconds rather than minutes.2

Steam, which is delivered to the prostate at a temperature of about 103°C, does not penetrate tissue. Instead, steam travels through cell interstices until it meets a boundary, such as a cell membrane . On reaching the cell membrane, steam condenses to water releasing the stored energy, bringing the tissue temperature to 70°C-80°C, which leads to immediate cell death. Due to the convective nature of steam, the transfer of energy is uniform, which enhances the predictability of the procedure.8,9 Upon cell death, the bodys natural processes come into play. Inflammation occurs and the bodys inflammatory system sends out scavengers to the area of edema in the prostate.11 The body resorbs the necrotic tissue over time and the prostate volume is reduced.12 Rezm ablates tissue, like common surgical procedures, leading to a reduction in overall prostate size.

What Beneficial Effects Can I Expect

All studies have shown a significant improvement in clinical outcomes including a 50% improvement in the international prostate symptoms score , a 50% improvement in maximum flow rate and a 30% reduction in the volume of urine left in the bladder after voiding. The improvement seen with steam therapy is not as great as is typical for prostate surgery however the beneficial effects occur sooner and there is a lower risk of side effects.

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How Is It Performed

The procedure is performed as a day stay procedure under sedation or a brief general anaesthetic. A telescope with the attached steam delivery device is inserted into the urethra. A needle deployed from the device is inserted into the prostate. Steam is delivered along the needle in 9 second injections. The total number of injections is determined by the size of the prostate gland. The treatment takes approximately 30 minutes. A suprapubic catheter is left in the bladder for 2-4 weeks afterwards. The catheter allows for easy bladder emptying during the period of prostate swelling.

Steam Therapy For Enlarged Prostate

Steam therapy is a safe and minimally invasive treatment option for patients living with benign prostatic hyperplasia . It offers an effective treatment step between medication and surgery.

BPH is one of the top 10 most common and costly conditions affecting 14 million American men aged 50 or older, with nearly a million new diagnoses each year. BPH causes significant quality of life issues including lack of sleep, anxiety, challenges with sexual function and limits to daily activities.

How does it work?

Rezum uses the natural energy stores in water vapor, or steam, to treat the enlarged and obstructive prostate tissue that causes BPH symptoms such as frequency, urgency, irregular urine flow, weak urine stream, straining, and getting up at night to urinate. The water vapor is delivered into the targeted prostate tissue and condenses, causing the tissue to expire. In the weeks following a Rezum procedure, the body’s natural healing response eliminates the treated tissue, shrinking the prostate. As the extra tissue is removed, the urethra opens back up, reducing BPH symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life.

Benefits of steam therapy include:

• Preserves sexual function
• Offers a rapid return to normal activities.
• Provides lasting symptom relief

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How Does Rezm Work

The Rezm therapy is a minimally invasive treatment for BPH that uses stored thermal energy in water vapour to reduce swelling of the prostate and obstruction of the urethra.

During the procedure, your doctor will insert a hand-held device into the urethra to reach the prostate. Your doctor will then inject small amounts of sterile water vapour into targeted prostate tissue. The water vapour will uniformly and instantaneously attack cells, causing them to die. Over time, your bodys natural healing process will remove the dead cells, causing your prostate to decrease in size and no longer obstruct the urethra.

Steam injections contain approximately 0.42ml of sterile water and last 9 seconds each. The amount of injections needed during a Rezm procedure will vary according to the size of the treated prostate. It is important to note that while the therapy targets prostate cells, it will not damage cells of the urethra. The Rezm system sends a small burst of room temperature saline flush through the device each time the needle is deployed and every 30 seconds during navigation and idle time to keep the urethra and the instrument shaft cool.

Rezm For Bph Testimonial

I had a very enlarged prostate and struggled for over 20 years trying to manage my frequency of urination, urgency at times and great discomfort at public events. I was always looking for the washroom rather than enjoying myself or just suffering with dehydration because I was afraid to drink anything. But, I just did not feel comfortable with the standard TURP which would be major surgery and which could come with some life changing side effects.

Rezum became the perfect solution and it has changed my life. It was a minimally invasive procedure on an outpatient basis only 15 minutes long and recover right away at home. Within a few months and improving every month from there forward, my urinary flow is like I am 30 years old again no problems emptying the bladder, very little urgency and absolutely big leap in quality of life. I am so glad that I made the choice to connect with Dr Elterman and get this done it was worth every bit of time and effort.

Patient KR

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Patient Selection And Procedure Planning

As for all surgical procedures, patient selection is paramount. Not every patientwith BPH are candidates for Rezum therapy . However, in contrast with someother procedures, patients with median lobe obstruction are eligible to receiveRezum therapy. Critical factors that preclude patients from receiving Rezum therapyinclude previous surgical/radiation treatment involving the prostate, a history ofurinary retention and patients with a large prostate burden . Prior tosurgery, in order to determine areas of prostate enlargement, patients undergoflexible cystoscopy. It potentially also provides an opportunity to assess thepatients tolerance to rigid cystoscopy while awake. Obtaining an ultrasound scan toassess prostate volume is also useful.14

What To Expect After Rezum

After the Rezum procedure, the body creates an inflammatory response, which takes two to four months to completely resolve. Initially, there will be swelling in the prostate, which can cause restriction of flow and cause more difficulty and frequency of urination.

Symptoms will get worse before they get better. Generally, at two weeks symptoms begin to stabilize. At four weeks, patients are back where they were before the procedure, and at six weeks patients start to get off medication.

Erections are not affected by the Rezum procedure. There is a one to two percent chance of retrograde ejaculation, which occurs when semen enters the bladder instead of the penis, causing very little to no semen to be ejaculated. This is a significantly lower percentage than in other prostate procedures.

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What Are The Risks Of Rezum

Like any treatment, side effects with Rezum can happen. In clinical trials, the most common side effects were temporary. They included burning with urination , blood in the urine , urinary frequency and urgency , temporary inability to urinate and urinary tract infection . All of these side effects were resolved within 3 weeks of treatment. Less common side effects include blood in the semen and decreased ejaculate volume.

Is It Covered By Insurance

Most insurance companies do not yet cover this treatment. We can give you a quote for the full cost of the procedure.

Reference

McVary KT, Gange SN, Gittelman MC, et al. Minimally invasive prostate convective water vapor energy ablation: a multicentre, randomized, controlled study for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol. 2016 195: 1529-1538.

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Looking For A Rezm Water Vapor Therapy Doctor

Our doctor finder was created to get you in direct contact with urologists who specialize in using Rezm Water Vapor Therapy to treat BPH. The Rezm Center of Excellence distinction recognizes physicians with a high degree of experience with Rezm Water Vapor Therapy and commitment to delivering significant, lasting symptom relief to men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia .

Urologists included in the Rezm Center of Excellence program have achieved a high degree of experience with Rezm Water Vapor Therapy. The requirements to achieve Rezm Center of Excellence designation are as follows and must be met on an annual basis to maintain Center of Excellence designation:

• The physician must complete Rezm training, including didactic and simulator training, and complete the first 10 procedures with a Boston Scientific representative with no significant complications.
• The physician must complete 75 Rezm cases each year.
• The physician must submit de-identified pre- and post-procedure IPSS data from a minimum of 25 patients each year. The mean improvement in IPSS must be at least 25% compared to baseline average.
• The physicians primary practice website must maintain current and accurate education information on BPH disease state and BPH treatments, including Rezm and other options.
• The physician must complete a quarterly Therapy Review with a Boston Scientific representative to include review of de-identified patient outcomes and best practices.

When Can I Have Sex After Rezum Surgery For Enlarged Prostate

At New York Urology Specialists, we advise our patients to refrain from sexual activity for 2 weeks after the procedure or catheter removal to allow the tissue to heal. A small amount of blood in semen or ejaculate can be present for up to 3 months after the REZUM procedure. Burning with ejaculation can occur in the first few months after the procedure and typically resolves over time.

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How Soon Can I Return To Work After Rezum Procedure

Most men are able to return to usual activities the next day after the procedure if they do office-type work. Men who are physically active may need to take a few days off if the catheter is interfering with the usual activities until the catheter is removed. However, most men are able to function without significant discomfort with the catheter in place.

We advise our patients to avoid driving for the first few days to see how you deal with the catheter. Usually, its best to wait until the catheter has been removed until you start driving. Urge to void or discomfort from the catheter can distract you from driving.