Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate, is a common condition that can cause weak urinary flow, frequent urination, urgency, difficulty emptying the bladder and repeated night-time urination.
When medication is no longer providing sufficient relief, several procedures can be used to treat the prostate tissue causing the obstruction.
Aquablation is one of the newer options. It uses real-time imaging, robotic technology and a high-pressure water jet to precisely remove obstructing prostate tissue without using heat for the tissue resection.
For appropriately selected patients, Aquablation can provide significant improvement in urinary symptoms while potentially reducing some of the sexual side effects associated with traditional prostate procedures.
WHAT IS AQUABLATION?
Aquablation is a minimally invasive treatment for urinary symptoms caused by benign prostate enlargement.
The procedure is performed through the urethra, meaning there is no external surgical incision.
Using real-time ultrasound imaging, the urologist creates a personalised treatment plan based on the patient’s prostate anatomy. The robotic Aquablation system then uses a precisely controlled high-pressure saline water jet to remove the targeted prostate tissue.
Unlike laser or electrosurgical tissue removal, the Aquablation water jet itself does not use heat to remove the obstructing tissue.
The procedure is planned and supervised by the urologist; the robotic system precisely executes the planned tissue removal.
IS AQUABLATION A GOOD TREATMENT?
For appropriately selected men with urinary symptoms caused by BPH, Aquablation can be an effective treatment option.
It may be particularly suitable for patients who:
• Have moderate or severe urinary symptoms
• Have insufficient improvement with medication
• Have weak urinary flow or difficulty emptying the bladder
• Experience frequent or night-time urination
• Want an effective minimally invasive treatment
• Consider preservation of ejaculatory function important
One of the potential advantages of Aquablation is a lower rate of ejaculatory dysfunction compared with some conventional prostate procedures.
Aquablation has also become an established treatment option in international urological guidelines for appropriately selected patients with BPH.
However, it is not automatically the best treatment for every enlarged prostate.
Prostate size and anatomy, degree of obstruction, bladder function, urinary retention, PSA findings and the patient’s individual priorities should all be considered before deciding on treatment.
AQUABLATION, HOLEP OR TURP?
Patients considering Aquablation frequently ask whether it is better than HoLEP or TURP.
There is no single best procedure for every patient.
HoLEP is a highly established laser treatment and can be particularly useful for larger prostates. TURP remains an established surgical treatment for BPH, while Aquablation offers a different approach using robotically controlled water-jet tissue removal.
The appropriate procedure should therefore be selected according to the individual prostate and the patient’s treatment priorities — not simply because one technology is newer than another.
WHY CHOOSE TURKEY FOR AQUABLATION?
Turkey provides access to advanced urology centres offering modern treatments for benign prostate enlargement, including Aquablation, HoLEP and other endoscopic prostate procedures.
For international patients, potential advantages include:
• Experienced urology specialists
• Access to modern robotic technology
• Comprehensive prostate assessment
• Shorter waiting times for treatment
• Competitive private treatment costs compared with many UK and European centres
At Healing Journey, treatment is not selected simply according to which technology is available.
The patient’s existing results are reviewed first to determine whether Aquablation is appropriate or whether another BPH treatment may provide a better option.
AQUABLATION PRICE
The Aquablation price depends on the individual treatment requirements, prostate anatomy and hospital.
Factors may include:
• Prostate size
• Required investigations
• Aquablation equipment and consumables
• Anaesthesia
• Hospital stay
• Specialist and hospital requirements
For this reason, an accurate treatment plan and price should ideally be prepared after reviewing the patient’s existing prostate assessment.
Healing Journey provides independent medical coordination, including medical review, appropriate urologist and hospital selection, treatment planning, in-country support, documentation and follow-up after returning home.
If you already have a prostate ultrasound or MRI, PSA result, uroflowmetry or previous urology reports, these can be reviewed before travelling to determine whether Aquablation may be an appropriate treatment option for you.
Know someone who should read this?
Share this article with your network in one click.
