A HIGH pressure water jet could replace lasers for prostate treatment in a bid to boost men’s sex lives, scientists say.
Millions of men go through treatment for an enlarged prostate as the condition affects half of over-50s and eight in 10 over-70s.
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King Charles was treated for the condition last year.
Standard procedure uses lasers but can leave blokes with trouble in the bedroom.
Experts at Bonn University in Germany found “aquablation”, a keyhole procedure using a tiny jet of water to shrink the prostate, is also effective but has fewer side effects.
Professor Cosimo De Nunzio, of the European Association of Urology, said: “This is a very promising option for men who prefer to see little or no impact on their sex lives.”
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The study, presented at the EAU Congress, tracked 202 men in Germany and England who needed treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
The condition, also known as BPH or BPE, is a non-cancerous increase in the size of the prostate, a golf ball-sized gland in the male pelvis.
The NHS says it is “common in men aged over 50 and not usually a serious threat to health”.
Sex troubles ‘five times higher’ with standard treatment
Around half of the 202 men had aquablation while the other half were treated with a laser.
Afterwards, 15 per cent of men in the water jet group had ejaculation problems compared to 77 per cent of men in the laser group.
Just nine per cent in the water jet group had incontinence after treatment, compared to 20 per cent in the standard treatment group.
Lead researcher Professor Manual Ritter said: “Our study shows significant promise for an alternative to laser-based treatments.
“Many men accept their symptoms as a normal part of ageing but after surgery they are very happy to get rid of their medication and symptoms.
“Evidence that it is also effective at preserving ejaculatory function brings added benefits for those who wish to preserve their sex lives.”
He added that the technique would be easier for surgeons to master than the laser therapy.
WHAT IS PROSTATE ENLARGEMENT?
MOST men’s prostates increase in size as they get older and it is not always a sign of a health problem.
The prostate is a gland in the male pelvis, located between the penis and the bladder and used to generate semen.
Past the age of about 50 most men’s prostates increase in size – a change thought to be linked to hormone levels.
Some people’s grow so much they develop a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as benign prostate enlargement (BPE).
After the age of 50 around half of men are affected, and this rises to 80 per cent or more beyond the age of 70.
It is not usually a serious threat to health and it is not cancer, nor does it raise the risk of cancer.
But it can cause troublesome symptoms and make it harder to pee properly.
Signs include a frequent need to pee, which may come on urgently including in the middle of the night, but struggling to start the flow of urine or having a weak and stop-start stream.
Treatment options depend on how bad the symptoms are, but may include changing your diet, taking medicine or having surgery to reduce the size of the prostate.
Source: NHS
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