Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) sends low-level radiofrequency electrical current through twin needles to burn away a well-defined area of an enlarged prostate. A shield is used to prevent the urethra from being harmed by the heat. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis.
You will be given a sedative or general anesthesia before the procedure. When it has taken effect, a probe will be passed into the urethra. Needles are then inserted into the prostate gland with assistance from Endoscopy. This is a tiny camera at the end of flexible tube that allows the doctor to see inside the body. Controlled by a computer, the needles are heated and, in turn, heat the surrounding prostate tissue. Each session lasts 15 to 30 minutes.
A catheter (a tube running from your bladder outside your body) will be put in place before the procedure. It will stay in place for five to seven days.
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.
Although it doesn't cure benign prostatic hyperplasia, the TUNA procedure improves urine flow and relieves symptoms. It has fewer side effects when compared with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). No incontinence or impotence has been observed.
