Global Health Asia-Pacific March 2020 | Page 15

86% of men disclosed that preserving sexual function was an important factor when considering treatment for benign prostate hypertrophy. With UroLift, there is no need to sacrifice sexual performance to improve prostate and bladder health for men suitable for this novel treatment. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED), are not directly related to each other, but the treatment of LUTS can result in ED. The common factor of these two conditions is age. As a man grows older, his urinary stream and his penile erections are no longer as strong as before. Common LUTS include storage and voiding symptoms. Storage symptoms include inability to hold the bladder, the need to void when there is an urge, frequent trips to the toilet, leakage of urine and waking up in the middle of the night because of the need to pass urine. Voiding symptoms include slow stream, interrupted stream, difficulty with starting to passing urine, incomplete bladder emptying and dribbling of urine at the end of the stream. LUTS is commonly due to Benign Prostate Hypertrophy (BPH). Up to 40% of men would have BPH once they cross the age of 50 and this can increase up to 70% in men above the age of 70. BPH is a benign disease but these symptoms are bothersome enough to affect a man’s quality of life. Trips to the toilet in the middle of the night not only affects his sleep but also his partner’s. Current treatment for BPH include oral medications and surgery (i.e. TURP, TUVP). Oral medication have been shown to improve LUTS but there are significant side effects on a man’s erectile and ejaculatory function. Men on these medication complain of weaker erections, decreased volumes of semen during ejaculation or even dry orgasms. Both TURP (Transurethral resection of prostate) and TUVP Comprehensive cutting-edge solutions for all your urological needs (Transurethral vaporisation of prostate) create a good channel for adequate flow of urine and the patients can be taken off medications after undergoing surgery. However, almost all men who undergo TURP or TUVP would not be able to ejaculate. Some may even have painful orgasms, not to mention ED. Prostatic urethral lift using the Urolift system would bridge the gap in terms of treatment of BPH for sexually active men who are either not keen to take long-term medication or are unable to accept the side effects of medication and surgery. Urolift has been shown to deliver good treatment outcomes without the unwanted side effects of sexual dysfunction. Urolift is a day procedure that has been FDA approved since 2013 and is currently available in Singapore. Using implants that are placed via a small scope inserted into urine tube (urethra), these implants open up the channel without the need to remove any tissue. It is akin to drawing open the curtains to let more light into the room. The Urolift implants draws apart the obstructing prostate tissue to enable urine to flow out from the bladder. Typically, four to six implants will be placed depending on the configuration of the prostate. Most men who undergo Urolift treatment would not need to have a urinary catheter placed and they can return to their daily activities much quicker. Sexual function is not compromised to achieve resolution of bothersome urinary symptoms and long-term medications will not be required after the procedure. Advanced Urology is a private urology practice in Singapore and it comprises of five experienced urologists who are all respected experts in their individual subspecialties. Leveraging on each specialist’s wealth of experience, the team of doctors work cohesively towards designing a comprehensive evidence-based treatment approach to solve complex and challenging urology conditions. Advanced Urology Services: Gleneagles Medical Centre 6 Napier Road, Suite 04-16 Singapore 258499 T: +65 6475 3668 | F: +65 6475 7086 Appointments: +65 6475 3668 Mt Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre 38 Irrawaddy Road, Suite 07-04 Singapore 329563 T: +65 6694 1838 | F: +65 6694 1828 Appointments: +65 6694 1838 Mt Elizabeth Medical Centre 3 Mt Elizabeth, Suite 17-14 Singapore 228510 T: +65 6735 0369 | F: +65 6735 1317 Appointments: +65 6735 0369 Parkway East Medical Centre 319 Joo Chiat Place, Suite 02-05 Singapore 427989 T: +65 6881 0048 | F: +65 6881 0049 Appointments: +65 6881 0048 (A to F) Simplified graphic presentation of prostatic urethral lift procedure. Transprostatic implants hold firmly on prostate capsule (C) and compresses glandular tissue (G) to open the prostatic bed, reducing obstruction to urine flow. Courtesy of NeoTract, Inc. Advanced Tests within own facilities: Farrer Park Medical Centre 1 Farrer Park Station Road, #14-11 Singapore 217562 T: +65 6694 9722 | F: +65 6694 9622 Appointments: +65 6694 9722 EXCELLENCE | PROFESSIONALISM | INTEGRITY | COMPASSION