Treatment options for BPH
Treatment depends on how severe your symptoms are and how much they affect your quality of life. Some people find relief with lifestyle changes or medication. If symptoms continue or worsen, minimally invasive or surgical treatments may be recommended.
Many people manage BPH with lifestyle changes or medications. These may include adjusting fluid intake, limiting caffeine, or taking medicines that relax the prostate or shrink it over time. Your care team will talk with you about your symptoms, daily routine, and preferences to help choose a treatment approach that fits your life.
The Urolift® System is a minimally invasive, outpatient treatment for BPH. It doesn’t remove or destroy prostate tissue. Instead, small permanent implants lift enlarged prostate tissue away from the urethra, allowing urine to flow more easily.
Because the procedure is done through the urethra, there are no incisions. Urolift also has a low risk of side effects, and many people notice symptom relief soon after treatment.
Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical treatment for BPH. During this outpatient procedure, doctors use imaging guidance to block blood flow to specific areas of the prostate. This causes the gland to shrink over time, easing urinary symptoms.
PAE often leads to a faster, less painful recovery than surgery and carries a lower risk of sexual or urinary side effects for many patients.
GreenLight™ Laser Therapy uses laser energy to remove excess prostate tissue through the urethra. The laser seals blood vessels as it works, which helps limit bleeding.
This minimally invasive procedure doesn’t require incisions or an overnight hospital stay. It’s usually done in an operating room using spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia. Most people notice improvement in symptoms soon after treatment.
Aquablation® uses a heat-free waterjet to remove excess prostate tissue with a high level of precision. This advanced BPH treatment combines robotic technology with real-time ultrasound imaging to guide the procedure.
Urologists perform Aquablation in an operating room under general anesthesia. The waterjet tool is inserted through the urethra, so no incisions are needed. Most people stay in the hospital overnight and go home the next day, often without a catheter.
Real-time imaging allows your surgeon to carefully map which tissue to remove while avoiding areas that affect sexual and urinary function. This precision lowers the risk of side effects like erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence and provides strong relief from BPH symptoms. Penn Medicine is one of the few health systems in the area to offer this advanced therapy.
Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a surgical procedure that removes excess prostate tissue to improve urine flow. During the procedure, surgeons insert a thin instrument called a resectoscope through the urethra to reach the prostate. An electrical loop then trims away the extra tissue.
TURP is performed in an operating room using general or spinal anesthesia and has long been the standard surgical treatment for BPH.
A prostatectomy is used for severe cases of BPH when other treatments haven’t provided relief. This surgery removes part or all of the prostate gland to relieve blockage and improve urinary function.
Because this is a more involved procedure, recovery time is longer than with minimally invasive treatments. Your care team will explain what to expect before and after surgery and help you understand whether this option is right for you.
For severe prostate enlargement, Penn Medicine offers minimally invasive urologic surgery care, including robotic prostatectomy. Using robotic technology, surgeons can remove excess prostrate tissue through small incisions with greater precision. Compared with traditional open surgery, robotic prostatectomy often leads to less pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery, while still providing effective symptom relief.