You will lie back, sedated and comfortable. Your physician will pass the instrument through the urethra directly into the prostate. Two small probes deliver the RF energy to destroy the obstructive prostate tissue. The physician will likely treat five to seven sites within your prostate. After one site is treated, your physician will move the instrument and probes to the next site and repeat the treatment until he determines he has treated enough sites to relieve your symptoms.

Is the procedure safe?

Yes, the procedure is safe. The instruments used in PROSTIVA RF Therapy contain several important safety features. For example, the device constantly measures temperature in the treatment area and automatically shuts off if it detects that it is getting too hot or if the pressure of the energy is too high or too low. Basically, the technology is designed to provide maximal awareness in order to facilitate accurate, optimal, and safe treatment.

After the procedure is complete, you may be asked to remain in the office until you urinate. If you are not able to urinate after the procedure, your doctor may elect to insert a catheter to ensure your comfort. Catheterization is required only as needed and, when required, the duration is usually 0-2 days. PROSTIVA RF Therapy was designed for use in an office, so you will not need to spend the night in a hospital. Most men go home the same day. Upon arriving home, you should drink plenty of fluids. You should be able to return to most of your normal activities within 24 - 48 hours. There is minimal discomfort post-PROSTIVA RF Therapy. This can be relieved with over-the-counter pain medicines as needed. You should relax and take it easy when you get home. You can expect optimal results in approximately 6 weeks, some patients may experience results sooner.

During the original clinical study conducted by Medtronic for the approval of this therapy, less than two percent of RF therapy patients experienced impotence and less than one percent of patients experienced retrograde ejaculation.

Possible side effects include obstruction, bleeding, blood in urine, pain/discomfort, urgency to urinate, increased frequency and urinary tract infection. Patients may also experience a minor burning sensation when urinating for one to two weeks following the treatment.

There were no reported cases of incontinence in the original clinical study conducted by Medtronic for approval of this therapy. In some other clinical studies, incontinence occurred in 3.1 percent of patients.

Yes, RF therapy for BPH is one of only a few minimally-invasive treatments recommended by American Urological Association Guideline on Management of BPH.

Is PROSTIVA RF Therapy effective long-term?

Yes. In a study published in 2004, data suggested that RF therapy is effective and provides good long-term clinical improvement at 5-year follow-up. Only 14 percent of treated patients treated for this study required the more invasive transurethral resection of the prostate within a five year span following RF therapy treatment.