Minimally Invasive Prostate Therapy

Robert Sterling Hollabaugh, Jr. M.D., FACS


As men grow older, urinary difficulties can develop related to an enlarged prostate. This condition, called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH, can affects up to half of men over the age of 50 years. Initially the size of a walnut, the prostate gland grows over time and can obstruct urinary flow. BPH is NOT cancer, but can have an aggravating or bothersome effect on daily living. As the condition progresses, a variety of symptoms will become evident:

  • Frequent, urgent urination
  • Problems starting or maintaining the urine stream
  • Slow or weak stream
  • Frequent nighttime visits to the bathroom
  • Dribbling of urine after completion
  • Sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder

In severe cases, a man cannot urinate at all, and a catheter has to be placed thru the penis into the bladder to drain it. Management of BPH hopes to avoid getting to this dire extreme.