At the Forefront - UChicago Medicine

Treatment for BPH

Prostate Artery Embolization

About the Procedure

In this procedure, a catheter is inserted into an artery in the wrist or upper thigh. Using low dose X-ray images, an interventional radiologist navigates the catheter to the prostatic arteries, which supply blood to enlarged prostate gland. Tiny particles, which are the size of small grains of sand, are injected into the bloodstream and directed into the prostate. These particles block the blood supply to the prostate, which causes it to shrink and provides symptom relief.

Benefits of PAE

  • Minimally invasive
  • No instrumentation of the penis
  • Not performed through the urethra
  • No sexual side effects or incontinence
  • Performed under light to moderate sedation
  • Same day discharge and short recovery time

 

Greenlight Laser Treatment

What is Greenlight Laser Treatment?

Greenlight Laser Treatment is a modern technique for treating men with enlarged prostates and difficulty urinating. It uses a laser to vaporize prostate tissue in a procedure known as photovaporization of the prostate (PVP).

How does it compare to traditional treatments?

The Greenlight technique allows for the direct removal of prostate tissue, similar to traditional transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP. However, because the laser vaporizes the tissue, there is minimal bleeding and typically a faster recovery. That allows most patients to go home from the hospital on the same day as the procedure, often without the need for a urinary catheter.

Unlike transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT) or transurethral needle ablation (TUNA), which can take weeks or months to reduce prostate size, Greenlight laser treatment offers immediate removal of tissue with faster symptom relief.

How effective are the results?

Results from Greenlight laser treatment are similar to those from TURP, the gold standard for decades. However, Greenlight generally results in fewer side effects and a shorter recovery time. Patients treated at UChicago Medicine have been overwhelmingly satisfied. Many say they wish they had undergone the procedure sooner.

 

Aquablation Therapy

UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial is one of the first in the area to offer Aquablation® therapy — a minimally invasive treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate.

What is Aquablation Therapy?

Aquablation uses the power of water, delivered with robotic precision, to remove prostate tissue and provide lasting relief from BPH symptoms. It’s precise, consistent, and effective — regardless of prostate size.

Why Choose Aquablation Therapy?

Traditional BPH treatments often mean compromise — not responding well to medications, limited relief, sexual side effects, or long recovery times. Aquablation offers all of the following:

  • Minimally invasive
  • Long-lasting symptom relief
  • Lower risk of side effects
  • Shorter recovery time