The main purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body through the excretion of urine. The system also handles other important functions such as the regulation of blood pressure and volume, controlling of electrolyte and metabolite levels and regulation of blood acidity.
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Pnn Medical A/S was established in 1987 to improve the quality of life for people suffering from urinary tract obstructions. Since launch more than 90.000 units of the second-generation urological stent Memokath™ have been inserted worldwide and continue to treat urinary tract obstructions every day.
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Prostatic obstruction is an obstruction of urine flow through the prostate due to pressure from the prostate against the urethra, which impedes the body’s ability to pass urine. Prostatic obstruction can occur in varying severity from light cases with limited symptoms and some continued flow of urine, to complete and acute obstructions with severe symptoms and no urine passage. Symptoms or suspicions of prostatic obstruction should always be consulted with a doctor.
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Prostatic obstruction is typically caused by either benign prostatic enlargement (known as BPH) or prostatic cancer. Benign prostatic enlargement is a common condition among older men. Most men are believed to have a continued prostatic growth throughout life, which at a certain age will place sufficient pressure on the urethra to limit the flow of urine.
The diagnosis of prostatic obstruction typically involves questions from the doctor about the severity and type of symptoms experienced. Examinations may also be performed in the form of urine flow study, blood test, cystoscopy, ultrasound, MRI or rectal exam. If cancer is suspected a biopsy test will often be performed, along other tests depending on the stage of the cancer.
Whether caused by benign prostatic enlargement or cancer, the severity of the symptoms varies, but have a general tendency to increase over time. If you are in doubt about whether you are experiencing symptoms, a doctor can examine and evaluate if treatment is necessary. Examples of prostatic obstruction symptoms can be seen below
The selection of treatments of prostatic obstruction depend on whether it is caused by cancer or benign enlargement. Examples of prostate cancer treatment are radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery etc. Below follow examples of how benign prostatic enlargement can be treated including examples of their respective advantages and disadvantages.
If the symptoms of prostatic obstructions are limited in severity and do not interfere with the patient’s everyday life, some doctors may prefer to monitor the condition and follow up frequently to evaluate the symptom development closely. Watchful waiting has the advantage of no side-effects or complications but comes with the risk that the condition is not treated in due time.
Pharmaceuticals are the least invasive and typically first choice of treatment. The treatments normally relax the bladder neck to enable urine flow and limit further growth of the prostate. Pharmaceutical treatment may, however, not be sufficient in the long term to relief the symptoms adequately, and also cause risk of certain side-effects such as dizziness, fatigue and sexual dysfunctions.
Surgical options range from resection (TURP) to laser, vaporization etc., which generally aim at removing tissue from the prostate and thereby allow urine to flow through. Surgery is often effective and provides long-term symptom relief, but also causes risk of side-effect such as permanent retrograde ejaculation (dry orgasms), urinary incontinence, and impotence. Some forms of surgery e.g. TURP also causes risk of bladder neck stricture.
Catheters are long plastic tubes plastic inserted through the obstruction in the prostate to enable urine flow. Catheters can be single-use devices for self-catheterization, or indwelling catheters which are fixed in the body and exchanged approximately every 15-30 days. Catheters are less invasive than surgery but may also cause discomfort and pain to the user, affect quality of life, and carry a high risk of urinary tract infections.
Stents are short tubes fixed at the location of the obstruction to allow urine to pass through. Stents are less invasive than surgery and affect the everyday life of patients less than catheters, but cause risk of obstruction from kidney stones, and may pass involuntarily through the urine. In either case the stents can be replaced by a new one, or replaced with different treatment method. Certain non-metallic stents also cause risk of tissue growth into the stent, making the removal process difficult.
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