Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital first in Tucson to offer new procedure for Enlarged Prostate

Aquablation is a minimally invasive, robotic treatment for patients with BPH

TUCSON – August 2023 Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital is the first in Tucson to offer a new robotic therapy called Aquablation for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).

BPH, or an enlarged prostate, is a non-cancerous condition where the prostate has grown to be larger than normal. Nearly half of men between the ages 51 to 60 have BPH, and the incidence increases every decade of life.1 In some men, if left untreated, BPH can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence.

Surgical treatments for BPH may require men to consider trade-offs between symptom relief and side effects, according to Brian Hess, MD, MBA, FACEP, Chief Medical Officer for Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Aquablation therapy is a different type of treatment for BPH.  It’s an advanced, minimally invasive treatment that uses the power of water delivered with robotic precision to provide best-in-class and long-lasting symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications, regardless of prostate size or shape.

“We are proud to be the first in the community to offer a solution for men with BPH that provides relief without compromise,” said Monica Vargas, Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital Chief Executive Officer. “It is exciting to bring this new, minimally invasive surgical technique to our community to improve the quality of life for our patients.”

Aquablation therapy is performed by the AquaBeam Robotic System, the first FDA-cleared, surgical robot utilizing automated tissue resection or the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. It combines real-time, multi-dimensional imaging, automated robotic technology, and heat-free waterjet ablation technology for targeted, controlled, and immediate removal of prostate tissue.

Aquablation therapy uses optics and ultrasound imaging, allowing the surgeon to map which parts of the prostate to remove and which parts to avoid that may cause complications like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and incontinence. The imaging system allows surgeons to develop individualized procedural planning, which can adjust for angle, length, contour and depth of penetration of the high-pressure water beam. 

Aquablation therapy is another way Carondelet Health Network is investing in the health of the Tucson community through bringing advances in technology to the people who can benefit from them.

People interested in learning more can go to: https://www.carondelet.org/find-a-doctor