Prostate problems are not a matter of if, but when. The symptoms — primarily a perpetual need to urinate — usually start when men are in their 50s. By 85, most men will experience symptoms as the likelihood of enlargement increase with age.
The solution can seem even worse — a procedure in which a tube is inserted through the urethra.
But a breakthrough procedure can shrink the prostate without all the unpleasantness.
“We bypass the urethra by running a tiny, thin wire through the arteries, entering at the wrist or groin,” said Dr. Blake Parsons of Oklahoma City’s CardioVascular Health Clinic. “The procedure is successful because we essentially cut the blood flow, shrinking the prostate and thereby eliminating the problem. It’s like putting a 300-pound man on a 200-calorie-a-day diet.”
The procedure is gaining popularity across the country, and patients have been impressed.
“I was getting up to go to the bathroom six or seven times every night. I couldn’t sleep,” said Phil Rigsby, who had the procedure last year. “Every other treatment sounded like torture, but this was pretty painless, and I was back at work two days after the surgery. I would say I saw an 80% improvement without any side effects. I know this much — I’m sleeping through the night now.”
Parsons said he hopes this new procedure will help the thousands of men in Oklahoma who haven’t sought treatment because it sounded too intimidating.
“Prostate problems are inevitable as men grow older. There’s no need for these men to suffer any longer,” Parsons said.
CardioVascular Health Clinic is the only provider in Oklahoma that offers the procedure. For more information, call 405-701-9880 or go to paeokc.com.