Life is fun again for James Clark, who enjoys karaoke with friends. He also sings the praises of The Urolift System.
Uninterrupted Living
Before he tried The UroLift® System, when James Clark referred to "get up and go," he was not talking about his energy level.
He was talking about having to go to the restroom throughout the day and night because of an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, (BPH). The condition is common in older men and it was causing James, now 60, to get up and go to the restroom throughout the day. He was having difficulty urinating and he could never fully empty his bladder. He suffered frequent urinary tract infections as a result. He tried controlling the condition with medication which eventually stopped working.
His urologist, Dr. Christopher Smith at St. Luke's Health - Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, suggested that James undergo a new procedure called Urolift®, which uses a set of permanent implants to lift and hold enlarged prostate tissue to keep it from blocking the urethra.
“Urolift is a minimally invasive procedure ideally suited for men who wish to preserve erectile and ejaculatory function,” Dr. Smith said. “ It is FDA approved for the treatment of urinary symptoms related to BPH, including lateral and median lobe hyperplasia in men 45 years of age and older.”
"It was great," James says. "I was back home the same day and have not had a problem since. I can finally sleep all night without having to get up and go to the restroom."
BPH occurs when the prostate becomes enlarged due to its continuous growth throughout a man's life. It presses on the urethra, and the wall of the bladder thickens and can cause difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, incontinence and other symptoms.
The UroLift® System reduces symptoms of BPH without the need for cutting, heating, or invasive procedures. Unlike other procedures, it does not cause new or lasting sexual dysfunction. Patients can return home on the same day and typically do not require a catheter. They often see a resolution of BPH symptoms within two to four weeks after the procedure.
BPH affects 41 million men yet only 2% elect to do anything about it. James is glad he did. "I'm a new man!” he says, “I’m having fun now."
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