Transurethral needle ablation of the prostate

Transurethral needle ablation (also called TUNA or transurethral radiofrequency ablation) is a technique that uses low

Transurethral needle ablation can be used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).^[4]

Some clinical studies have reported that TUNA is safe and effective, improving the urine flow with minimal side effects when compared with other procedures, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and open prostatectomy.^[1][5][6] However, other studies have reported that the procedure has a high failure rate, with the majority of patients requiring retreatment.^[7] Some patients have reported long-term inflammation of their prostate after undergoing the TUNA process. This is known as chronic prostatitis.

Judgements in guidelines

• The American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines for the treatment of BPH from 2018 stated that "TUNA is not recommended for the treatment of LUTS/BPH".^[8]
• The European Association of Urology (EAU) has – as of 2019 – removed TUNA from its guidelines.^[9]

History

The TUNA system was pioneered by Stuart Denzil Edwards. The device was the main product for a startup company called Vidamed. Vidamed was founded in 1992 by Edwards along with Ron G. Lax, Hugh Sharky and

References

• This article contains text derived from the public domain document at Pueblo.GPO.gov Main Page. Archived at: Publications.USA.gov Main Page on July 16, 2012, and accessed on December 29, 2015.
•  This article incorporates
  U.S. National Cancer Institute
  .

Notes