This week, the OneMedPlace team is down in Orlando attending the American Urological Association’s annual meeting. We’ll be capturing some great video footage from the floor which we’ll be sharing later this month.
While we’ve got Urology on the brain, I thought I’d weigh in on the recently announced upgrade to the Urologix enlarged prostate treatment catheter, CTC Advance.
It’ll be years (with any luck) before I need worry about my prostate, but working in the device space, I’m cognizant of what lays ahead.
By the time I’m 60, chances are good that I’ll experience symptoms of an enlarged prostate; by the time I’m 70 or 80 that likelihood rises to 90%.
Enlarged prostate, also know as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), is a condition in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged and may cause problems related to urination. Enlarged prostate is not life threatening nor is it cancer; however, if left untreated, it can lead to more serious health problems such as urinary retention or infections, bladder stones or kidney damage.
Available since 1997, the Urologix Cooled ThermoTherapy is a non-surgical treatment for BPH. Marketed under the brand names Targis and Prostatron, the office-based procedure can treat 90% of patients with BPH in a single, 30-minute session.
Cooled ThermoTherapy uses targeted microwave energy to heat and shrink enlarged prostate tissue while a cooling mechanism protects healthy, surrounding tissue. The treatment is performed on an outpatient basis requiring only local anesthesia and/or oral medications. Within weeks, the majority of men notice improvements in their symptoms and overall quality of life.
The recently launched CTC Advance microwave catheter is the latest advancement in this technology, improving flexibility and increasing the cooled surface area proximal to the treatment area by 50%. This makes the device easier to insert; the additional cooling helps further preserve healthy urethral tissue.
The CTC Advance microwave catheter has been used to treat patients in the U.S. since FDA approval on March 31, 2008. According to the company, physician feedback during this period confirms the utility of improvements.
Every year, 2.5 million men seek treatment for the disorder; BPH is a $500 million addressable market. Doctors typically net $500 for the procedure. Approximately 60-80% of patients who receive the therapy are eligible for Medicare coverage, and the remainder is covered by private insurers.
Hi Douglas,
PROCEDURE: January 9, 2007, cooled wave thermotherapy procedure (tumt) performed in a urologist’s office in the Mercy Hospital complex using a Urologix cooled wave thermotherapy MOBILE unit.
Since then I have been in the ER (several times), ICU (once) and the urologist’s office (several times) for problems resulting from this procedure. I have also been admitted in-patient (at Mercy Hospital, Janesville Wisconsin) for these same problems caused by the damaged urethal tissue (prostate, bladder neck, urinary sphincter, gross hematuria and blood clots as long as 4-5 inches). Subsequent surgical and aggressive procedures have been a TUVP , 3-4 surgeries to reopen a shrinking bladder neck openning (TURBNC), a stent inserted at the bladder neck on June 16, 2008 ,roller ball lasering of prostate walls to prevent them from falling apart thereby causing these clots, many penile irrigations and plungering through catheters to remove these clots. I have also had implantation of 2 Urinary Prosthesis (AMS 800 single cuff , replaced by AMS 800 dual cuff (inserted June 16, 2008, but not activated yet; therefore causing very heavy incontinence mitigating the use of diapers and internal and external catheters) and a penile implant for 100% loss of erections. Erections are now possible by squeezing a pump, however NO orgasms, and a very painful feeling. This is also coupled with loss of sperm/semen. I had partial erectile dysfunction before this procedure which was being handled very nicely with 100mg Viagra. Now the Viagra does nothing.
I have been married to my wife for 41 years. This entire series of events has been a very severe disappointment not only for me but also for my spouse. Sexual intimacy, which has been a significant aspect of our closeness as husband and wife has been damaged. Depression and anxiety, as well as other problems that we both have also added to that overall damage. All causes have been cumulative. However, the subsequent sexual problems caused by the January 9, 2007 tumt medical procedure has been the greatest problem for me.
When I read that Urologix has designed their CTC catheter to a new ADVANCE model that protects 50% more healthy area, it made me rethink the probability that the Urologix equipment (even though my temperature readings of areas measured by the rectal temperature probe were within specs, I am told). However, was the healthy tissue that was cooked in me within the geographical range that the temperature probe tested.
NOTE** I threatened to remove the rectal temperature probe because of an intense burning feeling in my rectum at approximately the 20 minute mark of the 28-30 minute January 9, 2007 tumt procedure; however the doctor and the tech were adamant that I leave the probe in or more damage may occur. I, therefore, left the rectal probe in until completion of the procedure.**
Why did Urologix find it necessary to re-design their catheter in order to produce an additional 50% added protection area of good tissue (proximal area)? What problems did the previous catheter cause? After all, isn’t there is an old adage that states: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Cause of subsequent problems: Do any case studies or research show that the previous pre-2008 catheter burned good tissue?
Can you PLEASE help me……………Thank You……………Rick