An innovative treatment option using water vapour therapy to target and shrink excess prostate tissue has been introduced at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) in recent days.

One in four men over the age of 40 in Ireland will suffer from an enlarged prostate gland. In medical terms, this is referred to as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and in simpler terms, it is an enlarged prostate.

When the prostate becomes enlarged it places pressure on the bladder and urethra (the tube that urine passes through). This can cause dribbling at the end passing urine, often feeling like the bladder has not fully emptied, with the individual needing to go to the toilet often. If it is ignored and not treated it can lead to bigger problems with the kidneys and the bladder.

In recent days, a team at TUH, led by Consultant Urologist, Professor Rustom Manecksha, carried out a new type of minimally invasive procedure treating BPH.

Professor Manecksha explained that “we are now providing an alternative treatment for what is a common medical problem."

"Our hospital, and in particular the urology service, has a long tradition of innovation, and the introduction of this new therapy is a welcome addition to the number of ways we can treat an enlarged prostate, many of which are minimally invasive. This means our patients spend less time in hospital and have a shorter recovery time so they can get back to living their lives.”

The innovative treatment (Rezūm) uses water vapour therapy to target and shrink the excess prostate tissue. When the steam contacts the prostate tissue, the stored energy is released into the tissue. In time the body absorbs the treated tissue, reducing the size of the prostate. This relieves the urinary obstruction and improves urinary flow. It eases the symptoms for the patient and is typically performed as a day procedure, using sedation or a short general anaesthetic.

Professor Rustom Manecksha is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at TUH, and Clinical Associate Professor, Trinity College Dublin. He learned to perform UroLift (one of the treatment options offered) when he worked in Australia in a centre involved in a multinational trial of the UroLift device and subsequently introduced the procedure to TUH. He is a graduate of the School of Medicine in UCD. He completed his basic and higher surgical training in Ireland before embarking on a sub-specialty fellowship in Melbourne, Australia. Prof Manecksha has a special interest in endourology, kidney stone disease, BPH and minimal access renal surgery. He is a keen researcher and has an active clinical research profile.