Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) for benign prostatic hyperplasia
Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) is used to treat an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH) with a needlelike device that delivers heat to very precise areas of the prostate. The device is inserted up the urethra inside a tube (catheter) that protects other tissues from being burned. The heat destroys specific areas that are blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder. This relieves BPH symptoms. The procedure does not require an overnight stay in the hospital but does require a spinal anesthetic, and usually a sedative is given to make you drowsy.
One study notes that after 1 year, TUNA reduced the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom index by 13.6 points while transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) reduced it by 15 points. However, TUNA was associated with less bleeding and retrograde ejaculation (ejaculation backward into the bladder) than TURP.1, 2
Needle ablation has minimal complications, the most common being an inability to urinate (urinary retention) and pain while urinating. Sexual ability is generally not affected.1
The main advantages of this treatment are:
- It can be done without an overnight stay in the hospital.
- A short recovery time, although the symptoms may take longer to improve.
- Minimal side effects.
The main disadvantages of this treatment are:
- It may not work well for men with large prostates.
- No tissue is recovered that can be tested for prostate cancer.
- It is not yet known how long the treatment is effective.
| Author: | Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: March 31, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology/Oncology | |
 | ||
| |