Node Smith, ND
A recent study has looked at the patient outcomes as well as healthcare costs of the UroLift System compared with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).1 The study was favorable in showing that replacing the current standard of care (TURP), with the less invasive UroLift System could save millions of dollars in healthcare costs as well as keep patients from undergoing invasive surgical procedures.
TURP
TURP is the current standard of care for BPH that is resistant to pharmaceutical intervention. TURP involves general anesthesia, postoperative catheterization and overnight hospitalization – on average men receiving TURP spend more than 2 days in the hospital. TURP involves surgical removal of portions of the prostate through the penis.
UroLift System
The UroLift System, is a prostatic urethral lift procedure, and does not involve surgery or removal of any tissue and does not require general anesthesia or postoperative catheterization. It can also be performed as a outpatient procedure. The prostatic urethral lift has been shown to provide effective and sustained relief of symptoms as well as increased urinary flow rate without affected sexual function.
Approximately 15,000 TURP operations are conducted yearly in the UK
The study was conducted in the United Kingdom, where roughly 2 million men are diagnosed with BPH annually. Approximately 15,000 TURP operations are conducted yearly in the UK for the treatment of BPH.
“The data analysis from this study sheds new light on the potential cost savings and improved patient outcomes associated with the prostatic urethral lift treatment,” said co-author Mr. Oliver Kayes of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. “Post-surgery complications including urinary tract infections and blood transfusions are expensive complications of TURP and burdensome to men. The UroLift System offers men a new minimally invasive option that reduces the occurrence of these unpleasant side effects.”
Prostatic urethral lift treatment
The prostatic urethral lift treatment has been added to the American Urological Association’s new guidelines on management of BPH.
Sources:
UroLift (prostatic urethral lift)
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Node Smith, ND, is a naturopathic physician in Portland, OR and associate editor for NDNR. He has been instrumental in maintaining a firm connection to the philosophy and heritage of naturopathic medicine among the next generation of docs. He helped found the first multi-generational experiential retreat, which brings elders, alumni, and students together for a weekend camp-out where naturopathic medicine and medical philosophy are experienced in nature. Four years ago he helped found the non-profit, Association for Naturopathic ReVitalization (ANR), for which he serves as the board chairman. ANR has a mission to inspire health practitioners to embody the naturopathic principles through experiential education. Node also has a firm belief that the next era of naturopathic medicine will see a resurgence of in-patient facilities which use fasting, earthing, hydrotherapy and homeopathy to bring people back from chronic diseases of modern living; he is involved in numerous conversations and projects to bring about this vision.
