Transurethral Microwave Technology (TUMT)
Transurethral Microwave Technology (TUMT) shrinks prostate tissue using heat from a microwave device. Usually several sessions are needed to shrink the tissue.
You will be given a sedative before the procedure. A catheter (a tube running from your bladder outside your body) will be put in place before the procedure. A device that sends computer-regulated microwaves through the catheter is used to heat selected portions of the prostate to at least 111° Fahrenheit. A cooling system protects the urinary tract during the procedure.
The tissues are heated for 30 to 60 minutes each session. This is an outpatient procedure. The catheter will be left in place five to seven days.
TUMT has not been reported to lead to impotence or incontinence.
Microwave therapy doesn't cure an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), but it does reduce most symptoms. It doesn't, however correct the problem of incomplete emptying of the bladder.
Re-evaluations are needed from time to time to check the status of your prostate (and rule out prostate cancer). This follow-up - while available at the Minimally Invasive Urology Institute - is usually done by your own urologist.
