Glossary of Enlarged Prostate (BPH) Terms
Alpha blockers:
Medications that help relax the muscles of the prostate, causing an increase
in urine flow and symptom improvement.
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Bladder spasm: Involuntary
contraction of muscles affecting the bladder wall.
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BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia):
Enlargement of the prostate gland with no cancer.
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BPH Symptom Score Index: A
self-administered questionnaire to help your doctor determine the severity of your
symptoms.
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Catheter: A flexible tube
for withdrawing fluids from (or introducing fluids into) a cavity of the body, especially
one for inserting into the bladder through the urethra to remove urine.
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Combination therapy:
Taking alpha-blockers and inhibitors of the 5-alpha reductase enzyme at the same
time.
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Cystourethroscopy:
A procedure used to look at the inside of the bladder and urethra, using a flexible
tube with a small, attached camera to insert through the urethra and into the bladder.
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Holmium laser surgery: Laser
treatment that removes obstructing prostate tissue and provides immediate symptom
relief. Holmium laser energy penetrates superficially, thus avoiding thermal injury
to surrounding tissue.
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Hyperplasia: Excessive
growth of normal cells of tissue (e.g., the prostate, causing an enlargement).
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Impotence: Failure to achieve
or to maintain an erection.
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Incontinence: Inability
to control or hold back urine.
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Invasive: Involving a puncture
or incision of the skin or insertion of an instrument or foreign material into the
body.
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Office-based minimally invasive treatments:
Treatments performed as outpatient procedures but requiring the use of an anesthetic
to relieve pain and discomfort.
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Prolieve Thermodilatation®
System: A transurethral microwave therapy device which combines balloon
dilatation for the treatment of symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).
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Prostate: A walnut-sized gland
in men that secretes prostatic fluid, which carries sperm.
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Rectal temperature monitor:
A device inserted into the rectum to measure the temperature of the rectal tissue
near the prostate gland.
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Retrograde ejaculation:
When semen travels up the urethra toward the bladder instead of outside of the body.
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Thermodilatation system:
A treatment system that combines balloon dilatation (inflation) with microwave energy.
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Transurethral: Performed
through the urethra.
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP): Surgical procedure to remove prostate
tissue obstructing the urethra.
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Ultrasound: A technique
in which high-frequency sound waves are bounced off internal organs and the echo
pattern is converted into a 2-dimensional picture of the structures.
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Urethra: The tube through which
urine is passed from the bladder; the length is about 25 centimeters (or about 10
inches) in males.
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Urinary retention: Inability
to empty the bladder.
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Urinary sphincter: A muscle
that is normally tight, and when relaxed allows urine to flow from the bladder.
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Uroflowmetry: A procedure
used to measure the rate of urine flow.
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Disclaimer: This material is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for a consultation. You should talk with a urologist regarding your specific symptoms or medical condition.
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