Aquablation Therapy Now Available at CHI Memorial

CHI Memorial is the first in the Chattanooga region to offer Aquablation therapy for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate.

Aquablation therapy is performed by the AquaBeamⓇ Robotic System, the first FDA-cleared, surgical robot utilizing automated tissue resection for the treatment of LUTS due to BPH.  Aquablation therapy combines real-time, multi-dimensional imaging, automated robotics, and heat-free waterjet ablation for targeted, controlled, and immediate removal of prostate tissue. Combining both cystoscopic visualization and ultrasound imaging, surgeons can create a personalized treatment plan tailored to each patient’s anatomy.  Once the map is complete, the robotically-controlled waterjet surgically removes the prostate tissue, avoiding critical structures to preserve sexual function and continence.  Proven in numerous clinical studies, Aquablation therapy offers predictable and reproducible outcomes, independent of prostate anatomy, prostate size, or surgeon experience. 1,2,3

“We are proud to be the first in Chattanooga to offer a solution for men with BPH that provides significant, long-lasting symptom relief with lower risk to their sexual function or continence,” said Jeff Mullins, MD, urologist, CHI Memorial Urology Associates.  “Aquablation therapy is the next step to furthering our commitment to robotic surgery and men’s health.”  

BPH, or an enlarged prostate, is a non-cancerous condition where the prostate has grown to be larger than normal.  One in two men ages 51 to 60 has BPH, and the incidence increases every decade of life.4  If left untreated, BPH can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence.  Current BPH surgical treatments often force men to tradeoff between symptom relief and side effects, limiting patients to choose between either a high degree of symptom relief with high rates of irreversible complications such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction, or ejaculatory dysfunction, or a low degree of symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications.

For more information on Aquablation therapy, visit memorial.org/aquablation or aquablation.com. 

Important Safety Information
All surgical treatments have inherent and associated side effects. Individual’s outcomes may depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to patient characteristics, disease characteristics and/or surgeon experience. 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. Further, there may be other risks as in other urological surgery, such as anesthesia risk or the risk of infection, including the potential transmission of blood borne pathogens.  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. Prior to using our products, please review the Instructions for Use, Operator’s Manual or User Manual, as applicable, and any accompanying documentation for a complete listing of indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions and potential adverse events. 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.

As with any surgical urologic procedure, potential perioperative risks of the Aquablation procedure include but are not limited to the following, some of which may lead to serious outcomes and may require intervention: Anesthesia risk, Bladder or prostate capsule perforation, Bladder neck contracture, Bleeding or blood in the urine, Bruising, Penile or pelvic pain, Irritative symptoms, which may include dysuria, urgency or frequency, Infection, Transurethral resection (TUR) syndrome, Electric shock/burn, Urethral damage causing false passage or stricture, Rectal incontinence / perforation, Sexual dysfunction, including ejaculatory and erectile dysfunction, Incontinence or overactive bladder, Embolism, Urinary Retention

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References:

1.   Gilling et al. Five-year outcomes for Aquablation therapy compared to TURP: a randomized controlled trial in men with LUTS due to BPH Can J Urol 2022; 29(1):10960-10968.

2.   Zorn KC, Bidair M, Trainer A, Arther A, Kramolowsky E, Desai M, et al. Aquablation therapy in large prostates (80–150 cc) for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: WATER II 3-year trial results. BJUI Compass. 2022;3(2):130–138.

3.       Bach, T, et al. First Multi-Center All-Comers Study for the Aquablation Procedure. J Clin Med. 2020 Feb; 9(2): 603.

Roehrborn, CG, Rosen, RC. Medical therapy options for aging men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: focus on alfuzosin 10 mg once daily. Clinical Interventions in Aging 2008:3(3).