Glossary and frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. The adult prostate is about the size and shape of a walnut. Its primary function is to produce semen, the fluid that carries sperm. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder.
BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) is commonly known as enlarged prostate. BPH is a non-cancerous condition in which prostate cells grow, enlarging the gland and causing it to squeeze the urethra. A variety of symptoms may result, including difficult, frequent or urgent urination.
It is very common. An estimated 50% of all men over the age of 50 suffer from BPH.
If you are experiencing symptoms of BPH that are affecting your quality of life, such as losing sleep because you need to wake during the night to urinate, you are unable to urinate, you are unable to delay urination, have hesitancy, or a weak urine stream, check with your urologist to discuss if it is time to seek treatment for BPH.
prostaFix is being developed as a new minimally-invasive, office-based procedure that delivers targeted energy to treat symptomatic BPH, while leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed. The treatment is intended to be delivered in a single 30-minute session in an urologist's office.
DC ablation uses the natural body chemistry to create regions of low pH at the positive electrodes and high pH regions at the negative electrodes. The body is continuously is regulating the pH balance within and around the cells. The temporary imbalance destroys the tissue within these regions safely and painlessly. These regions quickly return to a neutral pH by the normal cellular processes. Cells within these abnormal pH regions are absorbed by the immune system, forming voids in the lobes of the prostate. The voids relieve pressure on the urethra, relieving the symptoms of BPH.
prostaFix is expected to undergo a clinical study in early 2016. It is anticipated that the system will be available in 2017 pending regulatory approvals in the first regions.
The treatment carries none of the side-effects of drugs or surgery: No erectile dysfunction, no incontinence, and no pain. The low risk makes the therapy potentially attractive for early treatment as a protection against more serious problems developing.
Glossary
Anode – The positive terminal of an electrolytic cell.
AUA (American Urological Association) – AUA, founded in 1902, is the premier professional association for the advancement of urologic patient care, and works to ensure that its more than 16,000 members are current on the latest research and practices in urology. The AUA also pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care by providing a wide range of services — including publications, research, the Annual Meeting, continuing medical education (CME) and the formulation of health policy.
AUASS (AUA Symptom Score) – The most widely used gauge of the lower urinary tract symptoms associated with the constriction of the urethra caused by an enlarging prostate. Symptoms measured include urgency and frequency of urination, problems with urination, and nocturia (getting up at night to urinate). Take the AUA Symptom Score test now.
Bladder stones – Buildups of mineral in the urinary bladder.
BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) – The medical term for an enlarged prostate. It is one of the most common medical conditions among mature men. BPH is not cancer, but a natural part of the aging process that occurs when the number of prostate cells increases. The progression of BPH causes the prostate gland to compress the urethra.
Catheter – A flexible or rigid hollow tube employed to drain fluids from body cavities or to distend body passages.
Cathode – The negative terminal in an electrolytic cell.
Control Unit – A small, portable device with an LCD touch screen for displaying and controlling settings and treatment information.
DC ablation – A BPH therapy being developed to deliver targeted energy directly into the prostate, removing the prostate tissue.
Electrode – A conductor through which a current enters or leaves a nonmetallic medium.
Enlarged prostate – Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Lidocaine – A synthetic crystalline powder used as a local anesthetic
Non-surgical BPH procedures – These procedures utilize catheter technologies to destroy enlarged prostate tissue and relieve pressure on the urethra. They are performed with local anesthesia or oral medications in an urologist’s office or hospital outpatient setting.
Prostate – A gland that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra in the male. It is partly muscular and partly glandular and consists of a median lobe and two lateral lobes. The gland secretes a fluid that forms part of the seminal fluid.
Urethra – A canal for the discharge of urine extending from the bladder to the outside of the body.
Urinary retention – Inability to empty the bladder.
Urinary tract infection – Any infection of any of the organs of the urinary tract.