Aquablation® Therapy

Lee Health has added Aquablation® therapy by Procept Biorobotics to it's robotic-assisted surgery program, which features the most advanced technology in robotic surgery. Aquablation therapy is a minimally invasive surgical treatment that can help preserve a man’s sexual function by also providing long-lasting symptom relief for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Aquablation Therapy: Surgical Treatment for BPH (Enlarged Prostate)

Aquablation therapy is the only procedure that uses a heat-free waterjet controlled by robotic technology for prostate tissue resection. It combines a cystoscopic view with ultrasound imaging, allowing the surgeon to see the entire prostate in real-time during the procedure. As a result, it is consistent and precise, with a very low rate of irreversible complications, including incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, and erectile dysfunction.

Compared to traditional transurethral procedures for BPH, the benefits of Aquablation therapy can include:

Shorter Operative Time
Patients experience fewer long-term complications after surgery, as they maintain erectile function and preserve urinary continence and ejaculatory function in most cases.
Significantly Fewer long-term complications
Faster Return to Normal Daily Activities
In Many Cases, Better Clinical Outcomes
Long-lasting Urinary Symptoms Relief

As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is patient- and procedure-specific.

The prostate continues to grow as we age. Nearly half of all men experience BPH or an enlarged prostate. “It pinches on the urine channel. Increased symptoms of not being able to urinate. Having to urinate too frequently. Getting up at night, it’s going to be very bothersome.” Lee Health Urologist Dr. John Lee said traditionally there are a couple different ways to treat it starting with medication. Minimally invasive surgeries are low risk, but may not relieve symptoms. More invasive procedures work well, but the side effects can affect men’s sexual health. “The perfect combination would be something that is able to get the symptom improvement with less side effects.” Dr. Lee said that’s something he’s able to achieve through a new minimally invasive procedure called Aquablation. “It allows us to provide an individualized precise map of the tissue we want gone and have control while it’s being done to change that. And it allows us to remove a lot of tissue very efficiently, so it’s much quicker procedure, less time under anesthesia and were able to treat any size prostate.” Aquablation uses an ultrasound to get a 3D image of the prostate and then a water jet removes the excess tissue. “Studies have shown that there’s a very low risk of ejaculatory dysfunction, and an extremely low risk of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction,” said Dr. Lee. Improving symptoms without the negative side effects. You can learn more by searching for aquablation therapy on leehealth.org.

How does Aquablation therapy work?

The procedure takes about an hour and requires the patient to be under anesthesia. An overnight stay is often required. However, depending on the size of the prostate, the patient may be allowed to go home on the same day of treatment.

Step 1: Creating a Surgical Map

Aquablation therapy allows surgeons at Lee Health to customize the procedure based on each patient's anatomy. The instrument size makes it possible for surgeons to operate through the urethra without having to make incisions in the abdomen. Aquablation therapy is the only BPH surgical procedure that integrates ultrasound imaging with a standard camera. Using Aquablation therapy, your surgeon at Lee Health can see the entire prostate in real-time. This allows the surgeon to map which parts require removal and avoid removing the parts of the prostate that cause irreversible complications like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and incontinence.

Step 2: Removing the Prostate Tissue

Once the surgical map has been created, your surgeon is ready to start the procedure. A robotically-controlled, heat-free waterjet removes the prostate tissue that was outlined on the map precisely, consistently, and predictably.

What are the side effects of Aquablation therapy?

The primary reason for delaying surgery is because patients are concerned about side effects. Men who had Aquablation therapy have a very low rate of irreversible complications such as incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, and erectile dysfunction.