Prostatic urethral lift (marketed as Urolift) is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
The procedure involves the placement of small permanent implants within the prostate to retract the encroaching prostatic lobes and open the prostatic urethra, thereby improving urinary flow and reducing symptoms.
PUL can be performed under local anesthesia in an outpatient setting, and patients typically experience rapid recovery with minimal adverse effects.
Clinical studies have shown that PUL provides significant symptom relief and improved voiding flow, with sustained results up to 12 months post-procedure.
it preserves erectile and ejaculatory functions, which are often compromised by more invasive procedures like transurethral resection of the prostate.
The procedure is particularly suitable for patients with small to medium-sized prostates.
The procedure inserts implants that lift and hold the enlarged prostatic tissue out of the way, thus dilating the prostatic urethra.
The procedure likely improves quality of life without additional negative side effects.
Compared with transurethral resection of the prostate, the standard surgery for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, this procedure may be less effective in reducing urinary symptoms but may preserve ejaculation and have fewer unwanted effects on erections.
The most common side effects include dysuria and hematuria that typically resolve within 2–3 weeks, due to the manipulation of the prostatic urethra, although it does not require routine catheterization due to its less invasive nature.