San Ramon Regional Medical Center Puts Spotlight on Men’s Health

We all need to have regular health screenings to make sure we are healthy and everything is on track. Having regular health exams and tests can help find problems before they start, and they can help find potentially serious issues early, when your chances for treatment are better.

Your doctor may recommend various types of screenings depending on your age, health, family medical history and lifestyle choices. However, as a general guideline, these are some of the most important exams men should be getting:

• Cholesterol
• Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Colorectal Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Skin Cancer
• Lung Cancer

These are some of the most common health screenings that men should consider in order to keep their health on track. Your doctor may recommend other screenings, tests or exams depending on your health risks, lifestyle and other relevant aspects of your overall health.

At the end of the day, the best way to know which type of health screening would be most beneficial for you is to schedule an appointment with your doctor.

What Should Men Know About the Prostate?

The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut that is located in front of the rectum just below the bladder. It wraps around the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. The prostate is part of a man’s sex organs and is responsible for producing fluid that is part of semen. 

Prostate problems frequently occur in men over the age of 50, but it is not uncommon for men in their 40s to experience symptoms. Fortunately, with early detection, most problems with the prostate can be treated. Even if cancer is diagnosed, the relative five-year survival rate for all men is nearly 100 percent. The most common prostate problem diagnosed in men over 50 is prostate enlargement, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This condition occurs because the prostate continues to grow as a man matures, potentially squeezing the urethra and affecting bladder control. Men under the age of 50 are more likely to experience an inflammation or infection, called prostatitis.

If BPH is diagnosed, the condition can be managed several ways. Mild symptoms may not require any treatment. However, regular checkups are necessary to make sure the condition doesn’t worsen. Other options include taking medications to shrink or relax the prostate so it does not block the bladder opening or surgery to help urine flow. Some prostate surgeries can be performed by surgeons using robotic-assisted technology.

Advanced Treatment Available in San Ramon

San Ramon Regional Medical Center is proud to now offer Aquablation therapy for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to BPH.

BPH can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence. Many BPH surgical treatments often force men to trade-off between symptom relief and side effects, limiting patients to choose between either a high degree of symptom relief with high rates of irreversible complications (such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction, or ejaculatory dysfunction) or low degree of symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications.

Aquablation therapy is a different type of treatment for BPH. It’s an advanced, minimally invasive treatment that uses the power of water delivered with robotic precision to provide long-lasting symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications, regardless of prostate size or shape.

“We are proud to offer a solution for men with BPH that can provide relief without compromise,” said Ann Lucena, CEO of San Ramon Regional Medical Center. “Aquablation therapy is the next step in expanding our robotic surgical services and furthering our commitment to men’s health.”

Aquablation therapy is performed with the AquaBeam Robotic System, a surgical robot that utilizes automated tissue resection for the treatment of LUTS due to BPH. It combines real-time, multi-dimensional imaging, automated robotic technology, and heat-free waterjet ablation technology for targeted, controlled, and immediate removal of prostate tissue. Aquablation therapy offers predictable and reproducible outcomes, independent of prostate anatomy, prostate size, or surgeon experience.

Find a Physician

Aquablation therapy is performed in a hospital and is done under anesthesia. The procedure typically takes less than an hour. To learn whether Aquablation therapy is right for you, it’s best to speak with your physician. To find a urologist near you, head to OurSanRamonHospital.com or call (855) 780-4263.