HIMG Urology Announces Dr. Stephen Woolums Designation as UroLift® Center of Excellence
HUNTINGTON, W.V., Jan. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- HIMG Urology today announced that Dr. Stephen Woolums has been designated as a UroLift® Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes that Dr. Woolums has achieved a high level of training and experience with the UroLift System and demonstrated a commitment to exemplary care for men suffering from symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH.
"Enlarged prostate is a natural part of the aging process," said Dr. Woolums. "However, prior to treating BPH with the UroLift System, men had limited options including medications or invasive surgery that can cause serious side effects. The UroLift System is a game changer that may allow men to discontinue the use of BPH medications and get back to what matters."
Nearly 40 million men in the United States are affected by BPH. Not to be confused with prostate cancer, BPH occurs when the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. Symptoms of BPH often include interrupted sleep and urinary problems, and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life.
Five-year data from a randomized study shows the UroLift System offers not only rapid improvement, but also durable relief for patients with BPH. After five years, patients treated with the UroLift System continue to experience symptom relief with minimal side effects, with few patients requiring an additional procedure for relief. A second randomized clinical trial called BPH6 demonstrated that the minimally invasive UroLift System compares very well to the reference standard surgery, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), with regard to efficacy, and is superior to TURP at preserving sexual function and offering a more rapid recovery.
Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of medication treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options can be very effective in relieving symptoms, they can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and retrograde ejaculation.
About the UroLift System
NeoTract's FDA-cleared UroLift System is a novel, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Learn more at http://www.UroLift.com.
About HIMG Urology
HIMG provides world-class medical services as the premier medical group in the state of West Virginia and surrounding states. Its 150,000 square foot medical facility is one of the most unique, creative health care facilities in the United States today.
The HIMG Regional Medical Center is a true "medical mall," a hospital without beds. HIMG is a high-tech, high service medical group housed in a world-class facility. This physical consolidation of quality health care is contrary to what most medical groups have undertaken with the development of strategically located branch office locations. HIMG decided to bring the services to the patient instead of trotting the patients between primary care and specialty office locations. Learn more at http://www.uhswv.com.
1. Roehrborn et al. Can J. Urology 2017
2. Sonksen et al J Urology 2016
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SOURCE HIMG Urology
