What Is Aquablation?A Modern Solution for Enlarged Prostate

If you've been told you have an enlarged prostate — or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — you're not alone. BPH affects millions of men, and the symptoms can seriously disrupt daily life: frequent trips to the bathroom, weak urine flow, waking up multiple times at night, and the constant feeling that your bladder never fully empties.

For years, men had limited options: medications with unwanted side effects, or traditional surgeries that came with real risks to sexual function and continence. But today, there's a better way — and it's called Aquablation therapy.

So, What Exactly Is Aquablation?

Aquablation is a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted procedure that uses a high-pressure waterjet — not heat, not lasers, not traditional cutting tools — to precisely remove excess prostate tissue and relieve the obstruction causing your symptoms.

Here's what makes it different from anything that came before it:

• Robotically controlled — not hand-guided by the surgeon, which means greater consistency and precision.
• Heat-free — most BPH surgeries use heat or laser energy that can damage surrounding tissue; Aquablation uses only room-temperature saline water.
• Image-guided — a combination of a camera (cystoscope) and real-time ultrasound creates a 3D map of your prostate before a single drop of water is used.
• No incisions — the procedure is performed entirely through the urethra.

That last point is worth pausing on. No cuts. No stitches. Just a targeted, mapped, robotic removal of the tissue causing your problems — and nothing more.

Who Is a Candidate for Aquablation?

One of the most significant advantages of Aquablation is that it works on prostates of any size or shape — from 30 grams to over 200 grams. Many older procedures had size limitations that left large-prostate patients with fewer options. Aquablation removes that barrier.

You may be a candidate if:

• You have been diagnosed with BPH
• Medications haven't given you adequate relief — or you want to stop taking them
• You're concerned about the side effects of traditional prostate surgery
• Your urologist recommends surgical intervention

What Can You Expect from the Procedure?

The Aquablation procedure happens in two phases, both performed while you're under general anesthesia:

Phase 1 — Mapping: The surgical team uses ultrasound and a camera to build a precise, personalized map of your prostate. This map identifies exactly which tissue needs to be removed and which critical structures — like those controlling ejaculation and continence — need to be preserved.

Phase 2 — Treatment: A robotically controlled waterjet follows that map with precision, removing only the obstructive tissue. The entire ablation phase typically takes just a few minutes.

After the procedure, most patients spend one night in the hospital and go home with a temporary catheter to allow the urethra to begin healing. Mild discomfort during urination for a week or two is normal and manageable with standard pain medication.

Why Does It Matter That It's Heat-Free?

Traditional BPH surgeries rely on heat energy to destroy or remove tissue. The problem? Heat doesn't discriminate perfectly. It can affect nerve bundles and structures responsible for ejaculatory function and, in some cases, erectile function.

Aquablation's waterjet removes tissue mechanically, without heat. This is a key reason why clinical studies show Aquablation has significantly lower rates of ejaculatory dysfunction compared to heat-based alternatives — a meaningful quality-of-life benefit that many men prioritize.

The Bottom Line

BPH doesn't have to mean a life of rushed bathroom trips, interrupted sleep, and frustrating symptoms. And treating it doesn't have to mean trading one problem for another. Aquablation therapy offers men something the previous generation of BPH treatments couldn't always promise: real relief, without compromise.