ST. JOHNS, Fla. – A St. Johns man is among one of the first to be treated for an enlarged prostate in a new way at Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County Hospital.
A new technology being used to deal with a common health some men face.
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Patrick Hyland served in the Navy for 22 years, including becoming a commander and flying Lockheed P-3 Orion at NASJAX. He also loves to exercise.
A little more than six months ago, Hyland was diagnosed with BPH, which is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate.
“Getting up about four or five times a night [to use the bathroom] and not sleeping too well,” Hyland says of the symptoms he experienced for at least a year. “That was what was really concerning to me. What’s the problem here? Is it a big issue? Are we talking about something that is pretty scary?”
According to Mayo Clinic, BPH affects 50% of men in their 50s, 60% in their 60s and 70 to 80% in their 80s.
Common symptoms include using the bathroom frequently and urgently, having a weak urinary stream or a strain. The condition can lead to men not urinating at all.
A new technology called HYDROS Robotic system is being used to treat BPH in a non-invasive way through a procedure in a called Aquablation. It’s what Hyland just experienced.
Doctors at Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County recently added this to their treatment plan.
It uses artificial intelligence, mapping, and planning that specializes to each patient’s body.
News4Jax spoke with Dr. Zachary Dionise with the hospital, who also performed the surgery on Hyland. Dionise who explains how it works.
“It is a robotically controlled water jet that is individually guided and controlled by a robot for each patient,” he said. “It is mapped to the specific size and shape of the prostate for the patient. The robotically controlled water jet is used within the urethra, the tube that carries the urine through the prostate away from the bladder and out of the body to kind of carve out the prostate tissue. It opens up a nice large channel where the urine can easily travel.”
Hyland says going through the procedure after about a year of symptoms was well worth it. He is back to doing things he loves like exercising every day. His quality of life is restored.
“In addition to the procedure, I do a better job of hydration all the time,” Hyland said. “I drink water all the time. My energy level is much higher. I just don’t think about it anymore. That is a wonderful thing at my age.”
Dr. Dionise says there is a less than 5% chance of having to go through a repeat procedure when Aquablation is used.