Steam therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia approved on the NHS

Difficulty urinating, a frequent need to urinate, and difficulty fully emptying the bladder are all signs of benign prostate enlargement, common in men over the age of 50. Up till now some of the treatments available to address the condition included alpha blockers, 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors and transurethral resection of the prostate, but these can result in infection, urethral strictures, bleeding, incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
Now NICE has approved a steam therapy called transurethral water vapour ablation on the NHS. A retractable needle is inserted into the prostate to deliver steam to kill off excess cells and reduce the size of the prostate, and improvement should be evident up to three months post treatment. It is hoped the procedure can be undertaken in an outpatient clinic which would alleviate the strain on NHS resources.