.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Both men and women can suffer from bothersome urinary symptoms. This may be having to pass urine more frequently or with difficulty, or having urine infections. We have set up a dedicated service for the assessment and treatment of people in these situations. A team of specialist nurses and doctors will ask you questions about your symptoms, you'll be examined and specific tests such as a urine flow rate and emptying scan may be performed. If appropriate, you may be offered a bladder examination with a narrow telescope using local anaesthetic gel, often at the same initial appointment if possible to avoid you having to come back. This will help us to determine a plan to treat you, including simple lifestyle measures such as looking at what you drink, bladder training exercises, medication if necessary, or a range of procedures that we perform to help.

At East Kent Hospitals Department of Urology we are proud to be able to offer a wide range of advanced and modern treatment options for urinary symptoms. This is in addition to the tried and tested treatments with long established proven benefits. For men with prostate problems we can now offer Urolift and Rezum (steam) treatment as day case procedures without any need to stay in hospital. Urolift is indeed usually performed under local anaesthetic alone.  Prostate Artery Embolisation is an option being offered in our Interventional Radiology Department. Other options include Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and Greenlight laser prostate vaporisation, both with excellent long term results. Your surgeon will discuss with you what your choices are and what you can expect from each of these.

A further option for people with very overactive bladders not responding to usual measures is botulinum toxin injections, and this can be offered under local anaesthetic to help in certain circumstances.

TURP

UROLIFT

Prostate Artery Embolisation