Aquablation Therapy

Aquablation therapy is a new surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At St. Peter’s, we are proud that Dr. Kevin Brown and Dr. Timothy Grossman are among the first in the region to offer this advanced, minimally invasive treatment that helps men suffering from BPH to get their life back and feel like themselves again.

What is Aquablation therapy?

Aquablation therapy uses the power of water delivered with robotic precision to provide long-lasting BPH relief without compromise. It is precise, consistent, and predictable, and provides long-term relief no matter how large your prostate.(2,3)

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 and is done under anesthesia. The procedure typically takes less than an hour and involves an overnight stay.

There are two key steps to the Aquablation procedure:

Creating a surgical map
- Every prostate is unique in size and shape. Aquablation therapy enables our providers to customize your procedure to your specific anatomy.
- How? Aquablation therapy is the only BPH surgical procedure integrates ultrasound imaging with the standard camera (called a cystoscope). This gives our surgeon the ability to see the entire prostate in real time, which allows them to map which parts of your prostate they want to remove and which parts to avoid.
- Specifically, this mapping enables our providers to avoid removing the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and incontinence.

Removing prostate tissue
- Once our surgeons create a surgical map, a robotically-controlled, heat-free waterjet removes the prostate tissue that was outlined on the map. This robotic technology minimizes human error in removing prostate tissue, and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably.
- When required, our surgeon may choose to use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation procedure to control bleeding.

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. (1) 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. (1)

In clinical studies, men who had Aquablation therapy had a very low rate of irreversible complications—incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction.(2,3)

Is Aquablation therapy right for you?

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

Low rates of irreversible complications

Aquablation therapy has a very low rates of irreversible complications like incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction (2,3,4) because:

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 some surgeons may choose to use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation procedure if it is required to control bleeding.

Confidence in procedure

Aquablation therapy removes prostate tissue with a robotically-controlled waterjet. This robotic technology minimizes human error and ensures the prostate tissue is removed precisely, consistently, and predictably.

Long-term relief

In clinical studies, Aquablation therapy has been shown to provide durable symptom relief. (2)

Aquablation recovery

As with most BPH procedures, you will wake up with a catheter. Patients typically stay overnight in the hospital. We may send you home with a catheter for a few days or may keep you an additional night in the hospital if you are unable to pee on your own or empty your bladder at the time of discharge.

We know that no one likes staying overnight in a hospital. However, the benefit with Aquablation therapy is that most patients end up leaving the hospital without a catheter. (2,3,4)

Once you are home, you may experience mild burning during urination for a couple of weeks. This can be managed with mild pain medication.

References

References

1. Data from a global survey of 300 patients with BPH. Data on file at PROCEPT BioRobotics.

2. Gilling, P, et al. Three-Year Outcomes after Aquablation Therapy Compared to TURP: Results from a Blinded Randomized Trial. Can J Urol. 2020 Feb;27(1):10072-10079.

3. Bhojani, N, et al. Aquablation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Large Prostates (80-150 cc): 1-Year Results. Urology. 2019 Jul;129:1-7.

4. Data on file at PROCEPT BioRobotics.

Indications for use

United States, Canada, Hong Kong
The AquaBeam® Robotic System is intended for the resection and removal of prostate tissue in males suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Important safety information

All surgical treatments have inherent and associated side effects. The most common side effects are mild and transient and may include mild pain or difficulty when urinating, discomfort in the pelvis, blood in the urine, inability to empty the bladder or a frequent and/or urgent need to urinate, and bladder or urinary tract infection. Other risks include ejaculatory dysfunction and a low risk of injury to the urethra or rectum where the devices gain access to the body for treatment. For more information about potential side effects and risks associated with Aquablation therapy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) treatment, speak with your urologist or surgeon. No claim is made that the AquaBeam® Robotic System will cure any medical condition, or entirely eliminate the diseased entity. Repeated treatment or alternative therapies may sometimes be required.