Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)

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Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as enlarged prostate, is a condition that affects many men as they age. About half of men ages 51-60 develop it, and up to 90% of those over 80. Other risk factors include having a family member with BPH, being overweight, and not getting enough activity or exercise.

The prostate is a gland below the bladder that adds fluid to semen, and its muscles help push semen through the urethra (the tube that also carries urine). It is normally about the size of a walnut or golf ball, but the prostate can grow as large as an orange due to BPH, often causing bothersome urinary symptoms.

Common symptoms include:

Feeling like the bladder is full, even after passing urine
The need to stop and start several times when passing urine
Weak urine flow
Frequent urination or urges to pass urine
Difficulty passing urine, or feeling the need to push or strain
Waking up more than two times per night to pass urine

These symptoms can be annoying, but most are not serious. However, if you are unable to pass urine at all, it is important to seek immediate medical attention.

BPH can be diagnosed in several ways, including a rectal exam, urine flow tests, imaging scans such as MRI and ultrasound, and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.

Why choose UAB Medicine

UAB Urology is a national leader in treating BPH, and our expert providers specialize in delivering the most advanced therapies – including non-surgical options that offer fast recovery times and excellent results. These include holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), which is considered the gold standard treatment. Other treatments include:

Aquablation (water jet therapy)
Prostate artery embolization (PAE), which uses heat to shrink the prostate and ease symptoms
ReZum (water vapor heat therapy)
Optilume balloon therapy, which is used to widen the urethra and deliver helpful medication

Also, UAB Medicine participates in many clinical research trials, so patients may have access to promising new treatments not available at other medical centers.