RF Ablation

RF Ablation for Symptomatic BPH

About RF Ablation

Millions of men over the age of 50 use daily medication to relieve bothersome lower urinary symptoms related to BPH. But when BPH medications produce negative side effects or don't provide adequate relief, RF ablation for symptomatic BPH–also know as transuretharal needle ablation (TUNA)–offers a durable alternative.

RF ablation is a minimally-invasive, in-office and single-event treatment for urinary outflow obstruction symptoms secondary to BPH. The treatment is indicated for men over the age of 50 with prostate sizes between 20 and 50 cm3.

Precisely focused radio frequency (RF) energy is used to ablate prostate tissue which helps reduce the constriction of the urethra and relieve BPH voiding symptoms.

RF energy has been used in medical treatments since the 1920s, primarily in cardiac and neurosurgery treatments. More than 110,000 patients world wide have been treated with RF Ablation for symptomatic BPH.

Five-year efficacy data1 demonstrates that RF ablation provides significant improvement in urinary symptoms for patients over pre-treatment baseline measurements with low and acceptable failure rates. Clinical outcomes from the Zlotta study show that 78% of patients studied improved their IPSS by at least 50%, and peak uroflow was 24%
(n=121)1.

Indications

Treatment of symptoms due to urinary outflow obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men over the age of 50 with prostate sizes between 20 and 50 cm3.

Contraindications

  • Active urinary tract infection
  • Neurogenic, decompensated, or atonic bladder
  • Urethral strictures or muscle spasms that prevent insertion of the cartridge sheath
  • Bleeding disorders or patients taking anticoagulation medication unless antiplatelet medication has been discontinued for at least 10 days
  • ASA class group V patients
  • Clinical or histological evidence of prostatic cancer or bladder cancer
  • Prostate gland which is less than 34mm or greater than 80mm in transverse diameter
  • Presence of any prosthetic device in the region that may interfere with the procedure
  • Patients whose prostate has been previously treated with non-pharmacological therapies
  • Presence of cardiac pacemaker, implantable defibrillator, or malleable penile implants
  • Patients with any component(s) of an implantable neurostimulation system

References

  1. Zlotta A, Giannakopoulos X, Maehlum O, Ostrem T, Schulman CC. Long-term evaluation of transurethral needle ablation of the prostate (TUNA) for treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia: clinical outcomes up to five years from three centers. Eur Urol. 2003;44(1):89-93. (In this study of 188 patients, 121 were evaluated 5 years after RF therapy. More than 75% did not need additional treatment for BPH stymptoms.)

Treatment & Diagnosis

About Symptomatic BPH

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is when the prostate is enlarged, but not cancerous. As the prostate grows later in life, it can restrict the flow of urine from the bladder. The wall of the bladder becomes irritable and begins to contract or shrink, even when it contains only a small amount of urine.

Patients with BPH report urinary symptoms that range in severity:

  • Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
  • Sudden need to urinate
  • Needing to strain to start urinating
  • A week, variable, or dribbling urine stream
  • Pain or burning during urination
  • Feeling that the baldder isn't completely empty after urinating

How RF Ablation Treats Symptomatic BPH

With RF ablation, low levels of radio frequency energy are delivered directly into the prostate. Thermal ablation occurs through a combination of RF energy and inductive heating of water molecules in the tissue. The theory is that the process devascularizes and denervates the prostatic tissue, which may result in BPH symptom relief and improved urine flow.

RF Ablation offers patients significant benefits:

  • Minimally invasive, single event, in-office treatment
  • Low incidence of side effects1
  • Covered by Medicare in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and by most health insurance plans

References

  1. Zlotta A, Giannakopoulos X, Maehlum O, Ostrem T, Schulman CC. Long-term evaluation of transurethral needle ablation of the prostate (TUNA) for treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia: clinical outcomes up to five years from three centers. Eur Urol. 2003;44(1):89-93. (In this study of 188 patients, 121 were evaluated 5 years after RF therapy. More than 75% did not need additional treatment for BPH stymptoms.)