Jerry Matthews winced as he described the years of frequent bathroom trips that disrupted his sleep and daily life. At 72, his enlarged prostate had become more than an inconvenience—it was controlling his life.
“I couldn’t sit through a movie without rushing to the bathroom,” Matthews explains from his home in Manchester. “Long car journeys became impossible without planning restroom stops every hour.”
Matthews is among the millions of men worldwide suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition where the prostate enlarges and compresses the urethra. For many like him, traditional treatments provided only partial relief or carried significant side effects.
But a groundbreaking procedure using high-velocity water jets is transforming treatment options for men with enlarged prostates. The technique, known as Aquablation, uses robotic precision to remove excess prostate tissue without the heat damage associated with conventional surgical approaches.
Consultant urologist Professor Hashim Ahmed, who performs the procedure at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, explains the significance: “This technology represents a major advancement for patients with moderate to severe symptoms. The robotic system maps the prostate and removes tissue with remarkable precision.”
The procedure typically takes 30-45 minutes, with patients often returning home within 24 hours. Early evidence suggests it maintains sexual function better than traditional interventions while effectively relieving urinary symptoms.
For men like Matthews, the impact has been transformative. Three months after his procedure, he reports sleeping through the night and enjoying activities without constantly searching for bathrooms.
“The recovery wasn’t entirely painless,” Matthews acknowledges, “but compared to what I was enduring before, it’s been like getting my life back.”
BPH affects approximately 40% of men in their 50s and nearly 90% of men by age 80. While medications help many patients, surgical intervention becomes necessary when symptoms severely impact quality of life or when complications like urinary retention develop.
Traditional surgical options include transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), which has been the standard treatment for decades but carries risks of bleeding, erectile dysfunction, and retrograde ejaculation. Newer laser procedures offer improvements but still use heat that can damage surrounding tissues.
“What makes Aquablation different is the combination of imaging technology with the precision of robotics,” explains Dr. Lisa Thompson, urologist and medical researcher not involved with Matthews’ care. “The surgeon identifies what tissue to remove, and the robot executes with remarkable consistency.”
The procedure is currently available at select NHS hospitals and private healthcare facilities across the UK. While promising, experts caution that long-term outcome data is still being collected.
A recent study published in the Journal of Urology followed patients for three years after Aquablation, showing sustained symptom improvement comparable to traditional surgery but with fewer sexual side effects.
For men considering treatment options for BPH, these advancements offer new hope. “The technology continues to evolve,” says Professor Ahmed. “But what’s most exciting is offering solutions that address quality of life without forcing difficult compromises.”
As Matthews prepares for a long-postponed fishing trip with his grandchildren, he reflects on his experience. “Medicine keeps advancing in amazing ways. I just wish I hadn’t waited so long to seek help.”
With an aging population, innovative approaches like Aquablation may become increasingly important in addressing conditions that significantly impact quality of life for older adults. The intersection of robotics and medicine continues to create opportunities for more precise, personalized treatments across healthcare.
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