(BPT) - Sal Ciresi (left) and his wife Carol at Arches National Park in Utah*
As an anesthetist, Sal Ciresi spends his days in and out of the operating room and is unable to take breaks during procedures that can last hours. When urges of frequent urination began interfering with his work, he tried crossing his legs and limiting his water intake so he wouldn’t have to go as often.
Away from the operating room, Sal found himself strategizing about how far he could be from a bathroom at social events or while traveling with his grandkids. After more than three years with these symptoms of an enlarged prostate – also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – the condition became unbearable and nearly prevented him from doing his work.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland in the male pelvis and surrounding urethra.[2] As men age, the prostate can grow from the size of a walnut to about the size of a lemon.[1] An enlarged prostate becomes very common as men age and affects 50% of men by age 60.1 While non-cancerous, the condition can cause frustrating symptoms such as waking up several times a night to urinate, a weak or interrupted stream, feeling a sudden urge to go and lack of control over urination – which can disrupt daily activities.[3]
“I was in denial about my condition,” recalled Sal. “As someone who works in health care, I knew that treating an enlarged prostate could be an invasive process with treatment-associated risks. While I was eager to find relief, I wanted to avoid the risks of surgery.”
The best treatment option for each patient with enlarged prostate may depend on a range of factors, including the amount of discomfort, age, health, the size of the prostate and post-procedure expectations.[3] After receiving a diagnosis, Sal tried medication first for his symptoms but began experiencing side effects.[4] One day, he heard a radio commercial for Rezūm™ Water Vapor Therapy, a minimally invasive procedure to treat an enlarged prostate, not just the symptoms.[5] The in-office procedure uses water vapor to reduce the size of the prostate and provides lasting symptom relief, while preserving sexual function.[6] The procedure typically takes place during one doctor’s office visit and does not require general anesthesia.[6]
Sal scheduled a follow up appointment with his urologist, who evaluated him for Rezūm Therapy. Two weeks later, he had the minimally invasive procedure. Within a few weeks, Sal’s symptoms were finally under control.
“After trying medication without relief, I was excited about trying a different option with the Rezūm procedure,” said Sal. “While it was more involved than just taking a pill, I found the relief I was looking for and got rid of many of the daily limitations I was living with.”**
These days, Sal finds he is living a life where he feels more in control, without being on the constant search for a restroom or places to stop when traveling. To learn more about the symptoms of BPH and to speak with a doctor in your area about treatment options, including Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy, visit www.Rezum.com.
Most patients report relatively minor discomfort during the procedure. As a minimally invasive procedure, Rezūm Therapy has demonstrated fewer side effects compared to those typically seen with surgical therapies. While all cases are different, potential side effects associated with Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy may include, but are not limited to, painful or frequent urination, blood in the urine or semen, decrease in ejaculatory volume, urinary tract infection (UTI), inability to urinate or completely empty the bladder and urgent need to urinate. These side effects are typically mild to moderate and usually resolve within a few weeks, but there is a possibility some of these effects may continue for longer periods of time. Please talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits associated with Rezūm Therapy. A complete list of side effects associated with Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy is available here: https://www.rezum.com/what-is-rezum/risks.html.
Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
[1] Harvard Health. The growing problem of an enlarged prostate gland. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/the-growing-problem-of-an-enlarged-prostate-gland. Accessed October 2022.
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is Prostate Cancer? Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/basic_info/what-is-prostate-cancer.htm#:~:text=The%20prostate%20is%20located%20just,up%20a%20part%20of%20semen. Accessed October 2022.
[3] Mayo Clinic. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20370087. Accessed October 2022.
[4] WebMD. Managing Sexual Concerns if You Have BPH. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/men/prostate-enlargement-bph/features/managing-sexual-concerns-if-you-have-bph. Accessed December 2022.
[5] Westwood J, Geraghty R, Jones P, et al. Rezum: a new transurethral water vapour therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Ther Adv Urol. 2018 Nov;10(11):327–333.
[6] McVary KT, Gittelman MC, Goldberg KA, et al. Final 5-year outcomes of the multicenter randomized sham-controlled trial of Rezūm water vapor thermal therapy for treatment of moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol. 2021 Sep;206(3):715-24.
*Image provided courtesy of Sal Ciresi
**Patient experience varies. Speak with your doctor as individual recovery varies. Experience may not be representative of all cases.
Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.
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