Q: What is the prostate gland? The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. The
adult prostate is about the size and shape of a walnut. Its pri- mary function is to produce semen, the fluid that carries sperm. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Q: What is BPH? BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) is commonly known as enlarged prostate. BPH is a non-cancerous condition in which prostate cells grow, enlarging the gland and causing it to
squeeze the urethra. A variety of symptoms may result, includ- ing difficult, frequent or urgent urination. Q: How Common is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia? It is very common. An estimated 50%1 of all men over the age
of 60 suffer from BPH. Q: When should I seek BPH Treatment? If you are experiencing symptoms of BPH that are affecting your quality of life, such as losing sleep because you need to wake
during the night to urinate, you are unable to urinate, you are unable to delay urination, have hesitancy, or a weak urine stream, check with your urologist to discuss if it is time to seek Enlarged Prostate Treatment. Q: What treatments for BPH are available? Typically, three treatment options are available. The most com- mon forms of BPH treatment have been drug therapy or surgery. However, medication may cause unwanted side effects,2 and can
cost up to $1,000 per year.3 Surgery effectively removes the enlarged prostate tissue and requires general anesthesia and hospitalization. Cooled ThermoTherapy™ is a non-surgical, office-based procedure that usually improves symptoms and urine flow without the risks of general anesthesia associated with sur-
gery and side effects or costs associated with medication.
Q: What is Cooled ThermoTherapy? Cooled ThermoTherapy, also known as transurethral microwave ther-
motherapy (TUMT), has been available in the US since 1997. It is an office-based, non-surgical procedure that delivers precise energy to destroy enlarged prostate tissue while unique cooling mechanisms protect healthy, surrounding tissue. This combination creates an ef-fective non-surgical benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment, and also
distinguishes Cooled ThermoTherapy microwave technology from other microwave treatments currently on the market. Q: Why is cooling important?
Cooling is important for two reasons. First, cooling the urethra re- duces the need for anesthesia and provides a more rapid recovery af- ter the treatment. Second, colling the urethra reduces side effects of high power treatment, offering lasting results. Q: Why should I choose Cooled ThermoTherapy?
90% of patients report satisfactory improvement in IPSS symptom
72% of patients report satisfactory improvement in flow rate
Cooled ThermoTherapy does not require hospitalization, general
anesthesia or the long recovery time some surgical patients must face.
Cooled ThermoTherapy has been shown to be more cost effective
than other treatments, costing a fraction of the thousands of
dollars some patients spend on a lifetime of drug therapy.3
Cooled ThermoTherapy is the only microwave technology utilizing
Cooled ThermoTherapy requires a single office visit for a full
Q: Is Cooled ThermoTherapy expensive? Transurethral microwave thermotherapy is a cost-effective treat-
ment covered by Medicare and most private insurance providers. Most medication therapies must be taken daily, generally only re- lieve symptoms of BPH, and may cost a patient up to $1,000 per year.3 Q: How long does the TUMT treatment take? The TUMT treatment itself generally takes between 30 minutes to one hour, although you should allow 2 to 3 hours for the entire of- fice visit. Q: Is the transurethral microwave thermotherapy treatment painful? Does the treatment require anesthesia? Your Urologist may use local anesthesia and/or oral medications to minimize discomfort during this BPH treatment. Most patients feel
heat during the treatment and some patients experience discom- fort. Individual responses vary. Q: What are the side effects of Cooled Thermotherapy? Cooled ThermoTherapy is proven to be safe and effective; however,
some side effects have been reported. You urologist can explain the potential side effects, including how they compare to other BPH treatments in more detail. Q: Can I go home right after the procedure?
Yes. You should arrange for someone to drive you home because you may have been given some medication to help you relax during the procedure. Your urologist will give you post-treatment instruc-tions and explain the recovery period
Q: Will I need a catheter after the treatment? Many patients need a catheter to aid in urination for a few days fol-
lowing this Q: Does Cooled ThermoTherapy treatment provide lasting results? Five years5 of clinical data shows that Cooled ThermoTherapy is an
effective and lasting enlarged prostate treatment. Q: Is Cooled ThermoTherapy covered by insurance? Medicare and many commercial insurance plans provide coverage
for the Cooled ThermoTherapy procedure. You need to contact your insurance company to find out if they provide coverage for the treatment. If your insurance plan needs more information before they will make a decision on coverage, ask your doctor's office for assistance.
1Harvard Health Publications, Enlarged Prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) accessed March 25, 2008.
2Flomax®, Tamsulosin hydrochloride, Patient Information About Flomax Capsules, Table 3, Treatment Emergent Adverse Events Occurring in ≥2% of Flomax (tamsulosin hydrochloride) capsules or placebo patients in the U.S. short-term placebo-controlled clinical studies, Page 14, July 17, 2006.
3Drug cost per year for Flomax available at www.drugstore.com, Accessed January 7, 2008.
4Trock, et al, Long-term pooled analysis of multicenter studies of cooled thermotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia: results at three months through four years, Urology, Vol. 63, No. 4, April 2004.
5Miller, Paul D., et al, Cooled ThermoTherapy for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Durabil-ity of Results Obtained with the Targis System, Urology, Vol. 61. No. 6, June 2003. As with any medical procedure individual results will vary. Please consult your urologist for more infor-mation about this enlarged prostate treatment.
In the Game Managing Heavy Periods So You Can Remain Active Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation Headline News - August 2011 By Heather Boerner Originally Published in Hemaware, July 2011 When she was in high school, Meghan McDonald, 20, felt she could not tell her private dance instructor about her type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD). It wasn’t that she was embarrassed by the . It was