Innovative robotic procedure provides non-invasive pathway to remove excess prostate tissue
SANTA MONICA (Jan. 26, 2023) – Providence Saint John’s Health Center is now equipped to offer Aquablation therapy, a state-of-the-art robotic procedure to treat men with enlarged prostates. The condition, if left untreated, can cause serious health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, poor urinary flow and incontinence.
Aquablation therapy is performed by the AquaBeam Robotic System, the first FDA-cleared, surgical robot utilizing automated tissue resection for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous condition where the prostate has grown to be larger than normal.
The procedure is minimally invasive, using a powerful water jet – nearly the speed of sound – to remove excess prostate tissue. Combining both cystoscopic visualization and ultrasound imaging, surgeons can create a personalized treatment plan tailored to each patient’s anatomy.
With real-time ultrasound and direct vision through a tiny camera inserted through the urethra, the robot controls the tissue removal. Studies show the procedure is safe, highly effective and guards against complications including sexual side effects and incontinence.
“Having access to this kind of leading-edge surgical capability is an exciting prospect that provides a non-invasive method of treatment for those suffering from BPH that can offer significant and long-lasting symptom relief with lower risk to sexual function or continence,” said Dr. Mehran Movassaghi, director for men’s health and a urologist at Providence Saint John’s who will perform Aquablation therapy.
This innovative robotic procedure offers predictable and reproducible outcomes, independent of prostate shape or size, or surgeon experience [1,2,3,4]. Other BPH surgical treatments often force men to tradeoff between symptom relief and side effects, limiting patients to choose between either a high degree of symptom relief with high rates of irreversible complications such as incontinence erectile dysfunction, or a low degree of symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications.
“We are proud to be among the first to offer this treatment,” Dr. Movassaghi said, “and I think it is further evidence of Providence Saint John’s commitment to utilizing the latest surgical technology to improve outcomes and reliability for our patients.”
Providence Saint John's is equipped to offer this minimally invasive and highly effective procedure thanks to a generous donation from the Jean Perkins Foundation.
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About Providence Southern California
Providence Southern California is Southern California’s largest health system with 11 hospitals, more than 100 clinics, outpatient centers, TrinityCare Hospice and its TrinityKids Care pediatric hospice, Providence High School, home health care services, eight wellness centers, telehealth and numerous physician groups in its Southern California Region. Providence is committed to an enduring mission of outreach to the poor and vulnerable, and last year contributed $485 million in services, programs and charity care to those in need.
About PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
PROCEPT BioRobotics is a surgical robotics company focused on advancing patient care by developing transformative solutions in urology. PROCEPT develops, manufactures and sells the AquaBeam Robotic System, an advanced, image-guided, surgical robotic system for use in minimally-invasive urologic surgery with an initial focus on treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. BPH is the most common prostate disease and impacts approximately 40 million men in the United States. PROCEPT designed Aquablation therapy to deliver effective, safe and durable outcomes for males suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms, or LUTS, due to BPH that are independent of prostate size and shape or surgeon experience. PROCEPT has developed a significant and growing body of clinical evidence, which includes nine clinical studies and over 100 peer-reviewed publications, supporting the benefits and clinical advantages of Aquablation therapy.
References:
Gilling et al. Five-year outcomes for Aquablation therapy compared to TURP: a randomized controlled trial in men with LUTS due to BPH Can J Urol 2022; 29(1):10960-10968.
Zorn KC, Bidair M, Trainer A, Arther A, Kramolowsky E, Desai M, et al. Aquablation therapy in large prostates (80–150 cc) for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: WATER II 3-year trial results. BJUI Compass. 2022;3(2):130–138.
Bach, T, et al. First Multi-Center All-Comers Study for the Aquablation Procedure. J Clin Med. 2020 Feb; 9(2): 603.
Roehrborn, CG, Rosen, RC. Medical therapy options for aging men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: focus on alfuzosin 10 mg once daily. Clinical Interventions in Aging 2008:3(3).
