Yet another BPH treatment.
Posted , 14 users are following.
A tiny metal ring could be a radical new treatment for enlarged prostates. Inserted surgically under a local anaesthetic, the ClearRing forces enlarged prostate tissue away from the walls of the urethra — the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. This reduces pressure on the walls of the urethra so that it opens up, allowing men to go to the loo — difficulty to pass urine is one of the first symptoms of an enlarged prostate. It would be a major breakthrough in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which affects 2.5 million men in the UK.
The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland surrounding the urethra that produces components of semen. At different stages in a man’s life, it grows
— first during puberty and then from the age of 25, until, in many cases, the
prostate presses on the urethra. The first sign of the condition is usually
trouble passing urine, or difficulty starting, even when the bladder is full. Untreated,
BPH can cause kidney damage or bladder stones and can seriously affect quality
of life. Treatment often involves drugs, but they can have side-effects.
Around 50,000 men a year end up having surgery to correct the problem, however this carries a risk of impotence and urinary incontinence, as surgery targets areas packed with nerves that control these functions.
The ClearRing is thought to tackle the problem with little or no side-effects. First, under local anaesthetic, doctors insert a catheter — a thin plastic tube — through the urethra, before inserting a thin wire through this. On the end of the wire are a camera and a tiny, deflated balloon. On the outside of the balloon is the ClearRing, a partially opened C-shaped ring made from Nitinol, a soft metal that can be easily expanded. Doctors inflate the balloon once it reaches the narrowed part of the urethra. As it inflates, it increases the diameter of the urethra from a couple of millimetres to well over a centimetre. The metal ring expands by the same amount.
Then the doctor inserts a tiny, T-shaped prong along the wire which fits through the gap in the C-shaped ring. The prong is used to pierce one side of the urethra wall and penetrates a millimetre or so into the prostate tissue. One end of the
ring is then fed through the hole, until the whole ring is buried inside the
prostate, around the urethra. This holds the prostate — well away from the
urethra — and allows urine to flow easily out of the bladder.
Depending on the extent of the blockage, up to three rings can be implanted in one go and the procedure takes ten minutes. A study in the journal European Urology
Focus by scientists from Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital in Latvia
and Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Israel, involved 29 men with BPH who
had failed to respond to drug treatments.
A year after their procedures, the severity of symptoms such as trips to
the loo was reduced by half and quality of life scores improved by more than 50
per cent, with no lasting side-effects. Syed Rahman, a consultant urologist at Spire Leeds Hospital and St James’s University Hospital, said: ‘The initial results are quite promising. It merits consideration in patients with BPH.’
0 likes, 19 replies
j12080 derek76
Posted
Nope, don't want anything placed in mine, I use it too much in bed to have that.
DaveCanPee derek76
Posted
Hi Derek:
Yes, but....
The prostate is a growing organ. For some of us, the "growth" (and associated size) brings us problems. With growth/size acknowledged, we try to harness it with devices and/or drugs, but the last thing we want to do is remove it. Interesting.
With "strapping" it, we are trying to strap something down (control size/growth), but over time, growth will fight against us (and the straps).
With drugs we try to tame it and hope on a small percentage of improvement, but growth will continue to fight us.
Everybody wants the magic pill, or the next less invasive mousetrap, and the medical world plays to our needs. And, we always take the bait.
Dave
kenneth1955 derek76
Posted
Good Afternoon Derek
This is very interesting. I did not find much on it but I did fine some information when you put the company's name in. This reminds me of the Urolift but with a ring. This would give men another option to pick from if you don't want any side effects. But I do not know if this would be good for men that have a very large prostate. There may be a cut off of 80 cc or gr like the Urolift.
I did not see where this is being done or if the company is going to take it to the FDA for it approval. We will have to see.
Thank you for letting us know about it.....Ken
derek76 kenneth1955
Posted
Metal in there would presumably prevent getting an MRI scan.
derek76 kenneth1955
Posted
It seems that in the UK it is Spire Leeds Hospital (Private) and St James’s University NHS Hospital in Leeds.
kenneth1955 derek76
Posted
Derek that is a good question. Maybe it will be the same like the Urolift. They just have to be a ware of it and the MRI is done in a different way
We will see...........Ken
lester19220 derek76
Posted
If this was promising the FDA would have been working on it by now and we would have heard a lot about it. Some just won't make while others fall through the cracks. Those afflicted looking for a quick cure are ready to travel anywhere without knowing how long such a procedure could hold up.
derek76 lester19220
Posted
It is too new to have got as far as the FDA in America or NICE in the UK.
Truthmatters derek76
Posted
This is the link to the ProArc video animation of the procedure. Might not pass the mods. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=3FgJ_ekWKEs. Seems to ape something of a Urolift.
rdemyan derek76
Posted
Hi Derek:
Thanks for posting this. It's good to know what new treatments are becoming available even if they are still in the experimental stage. I viewed the video on the company's website and found it very interesting. As Ken said, it is very similar to Urolift, but to me it seems like it might work better simply because more of the circumference of the prostate is pushed away in a more uniform manner by a ring that has more surface area touching the prostate. However, similar to Urolifit it doesn't seem like it will work well if there is a large median lobe pushing into the bladder neck.
derek76 rdemyan
Posted
I have been fortunate as my median lobe was not a problem. I was told after my 2004 GL/PVP that the Median I Lobe was not bad and that the Lateral Lobes had been my problem. He described them as looking like a floppy saggy bottom pressing against each side my bladder. He said that no bladder neck resection was needed and that the consultant tries to avoid that as it is the cause of retrograde ejaculation.
When I last had a cystoscopy in 2015 I was told that there was a nodule on my median lobe but that it was not significant. Often the nodules can be cancerous.
My wife has a urology appointment on Thursday so I will take opportunity to ask what prostate procedures they are doing they now do.
kenneth1955 rdemyan
Posted
Hello All
I think when it get started it will give men another option if they do not what a procedure that will cut out there prostate and cause them a lot of side effects. Going to have to look again and watch the video
Later my friends..............Ken
kenneth1955 rdemyan
Posted
Hello My Fellow men
I just did more research on this new procedure. After looking at the video. You can have it. There would be no way I would let them do that to me. It will be done in the office no anesthesia or hospital stay. Yes it said no sedation requires. It does say it has no effect on sexual performance. It does not mention retro ejaculation.
If you watch the videos. After the balloon is inserted and get to the prostate. The balloon is inflated. Which open the ring. After the metal ring is turn so it can cut into the prostate from one side to the other. This is where my problem is. They are cutting into the prostate and going through the urethra right were the seminal channel meets the ejaculatory duct. And if you put three in you may as well forget it.
And another all the blood. The said since no tissue is removed the cut area will heal quick. Let me try to explain how or what it is like. I don't know if you mother's or grand mother used a round needle . It was like a half circle. That is what the ring is like it has a little T shape knife on one side and once they open it up they will rotate the ring to cut into the prostate to the other side. You will not see the metal on the bottom because it is under the skin.
This procedure is not for me. I will let you know what I hear from the company. Ken
Lvscott kenneth1955
Posted
The ballooning here can cause a nasty stricture. UroLift does not do this. Basically, the balloon is temp widening the urethra.. There's a reason the videos online for this date back to 2012, and all clinical trials are currently finished without clear results, and non are underway. This is not a new tech, it's basically Urolift with a ton more risk,
kenneth1955 Lvscott
Posted
Hello
I watch the video that was animated. After I saw the balloon taking out and saw the T knife cut into the prostate That is where your not going to get me. What are these people doing no sedation. I have the Urolift done under a general and once one of my clips came loose. My doctor tried to put it back on. n It hurt like you know what. I would like to see more information on it. I like to see them talk there way out of this one.
Another thing I just was thinking about. Being that the ring cuts into the urethra and the prostate and this is a metal ring what about movement. One of them ring could slice you up pretty bad if they moved
Have a great day///////////////////////////Ken
Lvscott kenneth1955
Posted
Yes Ken, this is not a good approach, and clinical trials are over. I saw some results and they were not good. Basically, UroLift is better and something I am considering. My only reservation with UroLift is that if I need a more invasive procedure down the line. Can the UroLift be undone to allow this?
First, I need a full array of testing done first which I will have done after New Year.
kenneth1955 Lvscott
Posted
Hey Buddy.
Good morning all. I have been doing research on this new procedure The Clear Ring. since it was talked about on the site a few days ago.. Been up for 24 hours sending e-mail back and forth to the UK. The hospital that I talked to does not know anything about it.
Looking on the internet I did not find to much but a trail done on 8 dogs. That does not help us at all.
I finely put in trails in Israel. That came up with some information. The only one I found on the Clear ring was done on 15 men. The first data was put in December 2015 and the last data was put in September 2016. They did not tell you much.
I found out that they will use a electro - cutting blade to preform a superficial incision in which the implant is placed in the prostate. I want to know more about that. Where is that blade cutting how deep does it go. It doe not say anything else.
I think this procedure needs more research. I did send another e-mail to the CEO to see if he will give me more then a one word answer.
Take care all and be safe...................Ken