North Oaks Offers Aquablation® to Treat Enlarged Prostate

North Oaks Medical Center now offers a new robotic surgical procedure for men to treat enlarged prostates.

Using waterjet technology, Aquablation® specifically treats BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia. This noncancerous condition occurs when the prostate gland grows to exceed its normal size, causing obstructions that can lead to lower urinary tract symptoms.

BPH is common, affecting one out of every two men between the ages of 51 and 60. An overwhelming 99 percent of men with BPH report that the condition negatively affects their overall quality of life. Without prompt treatment, BPH can cause severe health issues, including permanent bladder and kidney damage, bladder stones or incontinence.

Urologists start the procedure by getting real-time ultrasound imaging of the entire prostate. These multidimensional views are used by the urologist to map which areas of the prostate to remove and which to avoid. Once the treatment plan is fully mapped, the urologist employs the Aquabeam® robotic system to excise the targeted prostate tissue in a precise and controlled manner to provide long lasting relief with minimal risk of harming sexual function and continence.

Aquablation® is offered by five urologists on the North Oaks Health System medical staff. They are Drs. Stephen Graham and Brad Lake with Northshore Urological Associates, as well as Drs. Jason Chiang, Jay Heintz and Robert Kidd with Southeast Louisiana Urology Associates, also in Hammond. To learn more about urologists on the North Oaks medical staff, visit www.northoaks.org/docs.

“We are proud to be pioneering Aquablation® on the Northshore as a solution for men looking for significant, long-lasting BPH symptom relief and minimal risk when compared to other surgical treatment options. With Aquablation®, men don’t have to choose between symptom relief and the side effects of sexual dysfunction and incontinence,” asserts Dr. Brad Lake. “The addition of this therapy to our arsenal of treatment options represents an important advancement in our commitment to leveraging robotic surgery techniques to improve men's health and quality of life.”

To learn more Aquablation® and other urological services offered by North Oaks Health System, visit www.northoaks.org/urology or call North Oaks Public Relations at 985-230-6647.