Groundbreaking Procedure Renews Quality of Life for Local Males

One in two men between the ages of 51 and 60 have an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and that number jumps to 80% of men over 70 years of age. The prostate is a small gland below the bladder in males. Symptoms of BPH, such as difficulty urinating, often have a negative impact on a man’s life. If left untreated, BPH can lead to serious health concerns like urinary tract infections, blood in the urine, and bladder and kidney stones.

“Aquablation has been shown to offer significant benefits over traditional prostate treatment called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and it will likely become the standard of treatment for BPH in the future,” said Washington Township Medical Foundation urologist Mark Saleh, MD. “Washington Hospital Healthcare System (WHHS) is very pleased to have Aquablation as part of its comprehensive urology services and is one of the only local health care facilities currently offering this innovative minimally invasive technology.”

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 12 p.m. Dr. Saleh will present a live online seminar titled, “Aquablation: A Transformative BPH Treatment.” To watch this presentation on Facebook, sign in to your account then go to Facebook.com/WashingtonHosp. Or you can watch it without an account at YouTube.com/whhsInHealth. If you cannot watch it live, the seminar will be available the following day on the WHHS YouTube channel.

Dr. Saleh was instrumental in bringing the AquaBeam Robotic System—the first FDA-cleared surgical robot utilizing automated tissue resection for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to BPH—to WHHS in September 2023. He is a leading local urologist with three decades of experience and currently serves as WHHS Chief of Staff.

“Men with LUTS due to BPH may have obstructive or irritative urinary problems, including the inability to urinate, difficulty starting, having to go frequently or immediately without warning, or the need to get up several times during the night,” explained Dr. Saleh. “In addition to serious medical complications, these bothersome symptoms can have a debilitating effect on a man’s lifestyle.”

Aquablation therapy is a robotic procedure that uses high pressure water to remove prostate tissue, thereby relieving LUTS. It is performed in a hospital under anesthesia and typically takes one hour, followed by an overnight stay for monitoring. Numerous clinical studies have found men who had Aquablation therapy have a very low rate of irreversible complications such as incontinence, and erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction.

During the seminar, Dr. Saleh will discuss signs, symptoms, and risk factors of BPH and the significant impact it can have on men’s lives. Among other surgical and noninvasive therapies, he will present on how Aquablation is performed and its benefits over TURP. While TURP has been the primary surgical treatment for BPH for many decades, it often results in permanent side effects.

If you or someone you know suffers from LUTS as a result of an abnormally large prostate, the first step is to see your primary care physician for a prostate exam. Usually, a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test will be done to rule out prostate cancer. Oftentimes, medications can relieve LUTS without the need for surgical intervention. However, when surgery is indicated, Aquablation can be a viable option offering a good outcome.

Be sure to see Dr. Saleh’s presentation on Aquablation, and for more information look online at Aquablation.com. To learn more about Dr. Saleh and his services, visit the Find a Doctor page on mywtmf.com.