NeoTract, Inc., today announced that a survey it commissioned to mark Men’s Health Week (June 15 – 22) has revealed that 42% of British men aged 50+ say that if they were diagnosed with a very common health condition that affects men of their age, they would delay treatment because of a high risk of impotence (erectile dysfunction) caused by surgery and or drug therapy. In all, 41% would not have surgery or take medication due to a risk of conventional treatments causing incontinence.
The independently conducted poll of 1,000 British men aged over 50 shows that 11% of the men surveyed have already been diagnosed with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, an enlargement of the prostate gland, and who therefore may be living with considerable symptoms such as frequent and urgent urination and slow emptying. Up to 40% of all men over the age of 50 eventually develop the condition.
Since reaching the age of 50, around half of the respondents feel their sex drive has remained the same as when they were younger. The average man aged over 50 has sex once a week; but half would like to be having more sex than they currently do.
Neil Barber, Consultant Urologist at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, explains why a delay in treating BPH means that men have to not only put up with symptoms that negatively effect their quality of life but also run the risk of those symptoms deteriorating over time or suddenly being unable to pass urine, a very painful and unpleasant experience.
“Despite this, quite a lot of men don´t come forward until they are really in some considerable trouble with their waterworks – they can be quite desperate sometimes. The truth is that men are so worried about the treatment options for BPH that they avoid seeing a doctor – they don’t want to face up the possibility of developing incontinence and sexual dysfunction - which is outcome of the traditional surgical treatments sometimes.
“There is a generation of men in their 50s and 60s now who are interested in preserving their sexual function, and are more engaged in maintaining their health and wellbeing. They want to stay active and capable of everything. They don´t want to accept that going to the loo multiple times during the night or stopping having normal sex is part of ageing. Furthermore, many men want a surgical option that means they don’t have to take tablets, suffer the potential side effects of those tablets nor require potentially a number of weeks off work whilst things recover following standard surgical options. Men should seek advice from their GP if they have difficulty in initiating the stream, have a poor stream or need to rush to toilet or go frequently. It’s a gradual onset condition.”
Retired Ministry of Defence project manager Chris Bell, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, put off having surgery for an enlarged prostate for several years because of concerns about the possibility of becoming impotent. “Sex is very important to me. I am a fit and very active 66 year old and I am in a relationship. Any chance of incontinence or impotence was just too high a risk for me to take – either of those scenarios would have been disastrous to my lifestyle and wellbeing,” he says.
Yet many men diagnosed with BPH may be eligible for a new surgical treatment that preserves sexual function and carries low risk of incontinence. Patients receiving the UroLift® System Treatment report rapid symptomatic improvement, an even more rapid return to normal activities including work, and complete preservation of sexual function. A significant improvement in Quality of Life for patients was also observed. Most common adverse events reported were mild and transient such as bleeding and soreness.
According to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Urology, “The [UroLift System Treatment] procedure, when done with local anaesthesia, rarely required postoperative catheterization and offered rapid LUTS relief with minimal associated morbidity. The study further allows urologists to advise patients regarding post-procedural expectations and side effects, inclusive of symptomatic benefit.”
Dr Roger Henderson, from Linden Hall Surgery, Newport in Shropshire, says: "The UroLift System is a game changing procedure which should be offered in every NHS hospital. As a GP I see half a dozen patients with an enlarged prostate every week and these men are worried about the traditional treatments on offer; taking medication for life or an invasive operation which may cause impotence or incontinence. Men desperately need more advice and help about preserving their sexual health and wellbeing throughout their lives. Sexual wellbeing is an important factor in maintaining older men´s happiness and their ability to live an active, fulfilled life.
"In my view, great new innovation like UroLift takes far too long to get to patients. Sometimes it is awareness, sometimes it is about funding and coding. Whatever the reason, it makes no sense for the UroLift System not to be offered by every hospital in the UK, on the NHS. Care that is safe, clinically effective and provides a positive experience for patients should be funded.”
Ian Banks, President of the European Men’s Health Forum, a voluntary organisation supporting men and policy makers to improve men’s health across the EU, says: “The impact of BPH is often understated in younger men as it is linked to ageing. For many of these men, ‘normal’ life is their prime concern – so being able to continue working, having a normal sex life, avoiding medication which may require further medication to counteract adverse effects, are all part of being normal. Any treatment for BPH that can offer such normality, especially if it avoids irreversible surgery, is obviously attractive. The EMHF strongly supports further research into this area.”
About Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
BPH, also known as enlarged prostate, is a medical condition in which the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. The condition is common, affecting approximately 500 million men worldwide. BPH symptoms include sleepless nights and urinary problems, and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life. About one in four men experience BPH-related symptoms by age 55 and by age 70, over 80 percent of men suffer from BPH.
Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts or ablates prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options, such TURP can be very effective in relieving symptoms, it can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and retrograde ejaculation (dry orgasm).
About the UroLift® System
The UroLift System received positive NICE guidance and is FDA-cleared. The UroLift system is a novel, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Canada. Learn more at www.UroLift.co.uk.
About NeoTract
NeoTract, Inc. is dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices that address unmet needs in the field of urology. The company’s initial focus is on improving the standard of care for patients with BPH using the UroLift System, a minimally invasive permanent implant system that treats symptoms while preserving normal sexual function. Learn more at www.NeoTract.com.
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