Aquablation Therapy

Aiding men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), one prostate at a time.

What is BPH?

• Simply put, BPH means an enlarged prostate.
• The prostate is a little gland that lives under the bladder and plays an important role in male sexual function. Every prostate is unique in size and shape, and in some cases, will grow slowly as a man ages.
• BPH is the #1 reason men visit a urologist.
• 99% of men with BPH say symptoms impact quality of life.

What’s wrong with an enlarged prostate?

As the prostate enlarges, it cuts off the urethra, which lets urine leave the bladder. This can lead to problems being able to hold urine and also problems being able to empty the bladder.

How does Aquablation Therapy work?

• Aquablation therapy is the only BPH surgical procedure that integrates ultrasound imaging with a camera. With the help of ultrasound imaging, doctors can create a detailed guide to plan the procedure, outlining the specific areas of the prostate that need to be removed.
• Aquablation therapy uses an ultrasound-guided, roboticassisted, heat-free waterjet. This is a minimally invasive treatment that allows the waterjet to only remove the prostate tissue that is causing symptoms.
• There are two key steps to the Aquablation therapy process:

1. Step 1: Surgical Planning
2. Step 2: Prostate Tissue Removal

Step 1: Surgical Planning

Aquablation therapy enables our surgeons to customize your procedure to your specific anatomy. With the help of ultrasound imaging, doctors can create a detailed guide to plan the procedure, outlining the specific areas of the prostate that need to be removed. The tissue within the marked area of the prostate may be removed, while the tissue outside of it may remain untouched. This realtime visualization allows our surgeons to map which parts of your prostate to remove and which parts to avoid.

Step 2: Prostate Tissue Removal

Once our surgeons have created a surgical map, a robotic-assisted system follows the surgical plan and removes the targeted prostate tissue using a heat-free waterjet. This advanced technology helps ensure precise, consistent and predictable removal of the tissue.

Why is this something I should consider?

• This is an advanced technology that allows our urologists to treat a common male condition without the use of cautery, while simultaneously avoiding traditional side effects.
• This is minimally invasive and requires the patient to be under anesthesia for a shorter period of time.
• This procedure will help retain male sexual function.

Clay Mechlin, MD, FACS and Philip Fish, MD were the first two providers to offer Aquablation Therapy at Boone Hospital Center.

Innovations and advancements in male infertility and reconstructive surgery have allowed me the opportunity to perform a variety of procedures which greatly improve the lives of my patients and their families. – Dr. Mechlin

We are excited to bring this technology to the patients of Missouri. They no longer have to decide between improving urinary symptoms and maintaining normal sexual function. – Dr. Fish

By Erin Wegner