Bartow Regional Medical Center Offers Innovative Treatment for Prostate Issues

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate, is a fairly common issue for men over the age of 50. Bartow Regional Medical Center (BRMC) is now providing Aquablation®, an innovative treatment for the condition – the latest treatment available to patients in the area from BayCare hospitals.

BPH can cause trouble when urinating, urinary tract infections and sexual function issues. The usual treatments for BPH tend to solve some problems, but not others. Aquablation® therapy uses the power of water delivered with robotic precision to provide long-lasting BPH relief with low rates of irreversible surgical complications. The procedure can be performed on prostates of any size and shape. 

The first Aquablation procedures were performed at Bartow Regional Medical Center on March 1.

To prepare to bring Aquablation therapy to BRMC, surgical services team members had to learn how to use the robot that helps the surgeon pinpoint the best path for each patient’s prostate. 

In an average treatment, the surgeon inserts a camera that helps them set the robot’s surgical path. Once it’s determined which parts of the prostate the surgeon wants to remove, the robot is set to follow that precise path using a heat-free waterjet. The procedure can take up to 30 minutes to complete and an overnight hospital stay is usually necessary for recovery. Patients also usually do not need a catheter when they are discharged after the procedure.

“It’s very significant to have this cutting-edge technology in this region – it means those living with BPH don’t have to travel to get treatment that can provide life-changing relief,” said David Petersen, BRMC's director of surgical services. 

Aquablation is but one option for urology patients in Polk County. Winter Haven Hospital also use the GreenLight™ laser therapy in BPH treatment. GreenLight laser treatment is a therapy that evaporates prostatic tissue blocking the outlet of the bladder. 

Other BayCare hospitals using Aquablation therapy are St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Mease Countryside Hospital in Safety Harbor and Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater.

Bartow Regional Medical Center is a 72-bed acute care hospital serving South Lakeland, Bartow, Ft. Meade, Mulberry, rural south Polk County and northern Hardee County. Physicians and health care professionals at Bartow Regional Medical Center provide a variety of services. The hospital is equipped with four surgery suites and two gastroenterology suites. The emergency services department is staffed with board-certified emergency physicians and specially trained nurses, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to treat all types of emergency situations. The hospital is located at 2200 Osprey Blvd., Bartow, Florida. For more information: BayCare.org/BRMC.