Aquablation Therapy

Delivered by a Robotic System for enlarged prostate

Aquablation therapy is a real-time, ultrasound-guided, robotic-assisted, heat-free waterjet for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At Twin River Urology, we are proud to offer this advanced, minimally invasive treatment. The HYDROS™ Robotic System is designed to deliver an accurate and consistent treatment plan for better clinical outcomes. It is now possible for men with BPH to preserve sexual functioning while getting symptom relief from prostate blockage. Historically many men have avoided surgery because it was a tradeoff of symptom relief and side effects. Aquablation enables men to void normally again without needing to take ongoing medication or have long term side effects. After 30 years in urology Dr. Curtis sees this procedure as a real game changer.

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 an operating room. You will be under anesthesia for the entire procedure. The procedure typically takes an hour and may involve an overnight stay.

There are two key steps to the Aquablation therapy procedure:

Step 1. Surgical Planning

Every prostate is unique in size and shape. Aquablation therapy enables Dr. Curtis to customize your procedure to your specific anatomy.

How? Aquablation therapy is the only BPH surgical procedure that combines next-generation ultrasound imaging and digital cystoscopy. With the help of ultrasound imaging, Dr. Curtis can create a detailed guide to plan the procedure, outlining the critical anatomy and suggest an optimal treatment plan for each patient. The tissue within the marked area of the prostate may be removed, while the tissue outside of it may remain untouched. This real-time visualization allows your Dr. Curtis to map which parts of your prostate to remove and which parts to avoid, specifically enabling him to avoid removing areas that could cause irreversible complications like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and incontinence.

Step 2. Prostate Tissue Removal

Once your surgeon or Dr. Curtis has created a surgical map, a robotic-assisted heat-free waterjet follows the surgeon-defined treatment plan and resects the obstructive tissue. This advanced technology helps ensure precise, consistent, and predictable removal of the tissue across a wide range of prostate sizes and shapes. Dr. Curtis will then use bipolar cautery following an Aquablation therapy procedure to control any 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, such as incontinence, ejaculatory dysfunction, erectile dysfunction. 2

Safety Information
100%
of patients were free from erectile dysfunction 2
89%
men with BPH preserve ejaculatory function with Aquablation therapy 1-4
>99%
men with BPH did not have incontinence after Aquablation therapy 1-4

Is Aquablation Therapy right for you?

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

1. Low Rates of Irreversible Complications

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

  • 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 surgeons may use a minimal amount of cautery following an Aquablation therapy procedure to control bleeding.

2. Confidence in Procedure

Aquablation therapy is the only procedure that resects prostate tissue with a robotically controlled waterjet, designed to minimize human error.

3. Long-Term Relief

In clinical studies, Aquablation therapy has been shown to provide long-term relief at 5 years. 3-4

4. Exceptional Results vs TURP

When compared with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), Aquablation therapy demonstrated: 5

  • Showed similar symptom relief
  • Lower complication rate
  • Fewer retreatments

5. Exceptional Efficacy

Aquablation therapy patients on average experienced: 2-4

  • 16-point improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score
  • 3.3 -point improvement in quality of life
  • 2x improvement in urinary flow rate

Assess Your Symptoms

Take the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) Quiz to measure how severe your symptoms are.

Take the Sexual Function Quiz to help you determine if maintaining sexual function after BPH surgery is important to you.

Safety Information
96%
men with BPH wished their doctors would have discussed Aquablation therapy with them 1
94%
men with BPH would have considered Aquablation therapy if their doctor had told them about it 1-4

Aquablation Therapy Recovery

As with most benign prostatic hyperplasia procedures, you will wake up with a catheter following Aquablation therapy, which allows you to urinate while your urethra heals. The procedure may involve an overnight stay in the hospital. The benefit with Aquablation therapy is that most patients end up leaving the hospital without a catheter.
Once you are home, you may have a burning sensation and urinary urgency, but this will be temporary. Patients can resume their normal activities usually within 7-10 days.

For more information, visit https://aquablation.com/safety-information/

Have questions or want more information?

For more information, call us at (802) 296-7370, and visit aquablation.com for Frequently Asked Questions.

A patient’s story (not treated by Dr. Curtis) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RljPJD8zF8&t=25s

Dr. Curtis is completely comfortable performing this procedure because it combines multiple surgical techniques and procedures that he has been performing for 30 years.

REFERENCES

  1. Gilling PJ, et al. Can J Urol. 2022.
  2. Bhojani N, et al. J Urol. 2023.
  3. Elterman D, et al. BMJ Surg Interv Health Technol. 2021.
  4. Data on file, PROCEPT BioRobotics.
  5. Oumedjbeur K, et al. Can J Urol. 2023.

Risk and Safety Information: https://aquablation.com/safety-information/