Tiny spring could help ease enlarged prostate symptoms

A small spring, roughly the size of a paperclip, has been developed which could help ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

The spring is implanted under local anaesthetic and then expands to prop open the urethra, which narrows when the prostate enlarges, causing difficulty in fully emptying the bladder.

Currently more than half of men over the age of 50 have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) a condition in which the prostate – a small gland in the pelvis – becomes enlarged, causing parts of the urinary tract to narrow.

Treatment typically involves lifestyle changes, such as consuming fewer liquids in the evening, taking medication or undergoing surgery.

The new Zenflow Spring System is constructed from an alloy of nickel and titanium called nitinol.  It is a shape-memory metal, meaning it can ‘remember its original coil shape following compression.

In a ten-minute procedure under local anaesthetic, the spring is flattened and loaded into a catheter with a camera on the end and inserted into the urethra.  It is guided into place where the urethra is restricted and then released.

Once exposed to body temperature, the metal ‘remembers’ its original shape and expands, pushing back the prostate tissue and opening up the urethra.

Professor Raj Persad consultant urological surgeon at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, said “This seems a good temporary solution, particularly for those who are unfit for, or do not want, surgery.  Although this is an improved material, experience in the past shows that stents can become encrusted or erode tissue.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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