St. Catherine of Siena Hospital First in Suffolk County to Perform Aquablation Robotic Therapy to Treat Enlarged Prostate

Catholic Health’s St. Catherine of Siena Hospital (Smithtown, NY) is the first in Suffolk County to perform Aquablation therapy using the AquaBeam Robotic System, for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate. 
 
BPH is a non-cancerous condition where the prostate has grown to be larger than normal. One in two men, ages 51-60, have BPH and the incidence increases every decade of life. If left untreated, BPH can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence. AquaBeam is the first FDA-approved, surgical robot utilizing automated tissue resection for the treatment of LUTS due to BPH. 
 
“We are proud to be the first in Suffolk County to offer a solution for men with BPH that provides significant, long-lasting symptom relief with lower risk to their sexual function or continence,” said St. Catherine of Siena Hospital President James O’Connor. “Aquablation therapy is the next step in furthering our commitment to robotic surgery and men’s health.”
 
Current BPH surgical treatments often force men to tradeoff between symptom relief and side effects, limiting patients to choose between either a high degree of symptom relief with high rates of irreversible complications such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, or a low degree of symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications.
 
“Aquablation is a cutting-edge new approach to treat BPH and is unique in its ability to treat an enlarged prostate, traditionally requiring far more invasive procedures and prolonged hospital stay,” said Alexander Epelbaum, MD, the hospital’s Medical Director of the Robotic Surgery Program. “This new technology also allows for preservation of ejaculatory and sexual function. Patients are usually able to return home the next day. Most men can resume all their normal daily activities 3-4 weeks after the surgery.  At St. Catherine’s, we have had excellent patient outcomes.” 
 
Aquablation therapy combines real-time, multi-dimensional imaging, automated robotics, and heat-free waterjet ablation for targeted, controlled, and immediate removal of prostate tissue. Combining both cystoscopic visualization and ultrasound imaging, surgeons can create a personalized treatment plan tailored to each patient’s anatomy. Once the map is complete, the robotically controlled, waterjet ablates the prostate tissue, avoiding critical structures to preserve sexual function and continence. 

To find a Catholic Health physician near you, call 866-MY-LI-DOC (866-695-4362). Learn more about Catholic Health's urology services.