WORCESTER, Mass. – Saint Vincent Hospital is now the first central Massachusetts hospital to offer aquablation therapy, and one of five in the state.

The therapy is a minimally invasive robotic treatment designed to help treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous enlarged prostate.

What You Need To Know

• Aquablation therapy is an advanced, minimally invasive treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• The therapy is performed by the AquaBeam Robotic System, which is the first FDA-cleared, surgical robot utilizing automated tissue resection or the treatment of LUTS due to BPH
• Dr. Bhalchandra Parulkar said by the age of 60, one out of two people have an enlarged prostate. By the age of 80, almost 100% have an enlarged prostate

Saint Vincent Chief of Urology Dr. Bhalchandra Parulkar said by the age of 60, one out of two people have an enlarged prostate and by the age of 80, almost 100% have an enlarged prostate.

John Klimczak was one of those people. Klimczak was waking up frequently to use the restroom. After getting blood work done, his doctor called and sent him to the emergency room.

"Further diagnosis, they determined that it was an over-sized, enlarged prostate which was causing renal retention," Klimczak said.

Klimczak was referred to a urologist, but after medication failed, it was determined he was a perfect candidate for Aquablation therapy. 

"This is the only technique that actually uses water to remove the tissue," Parulkar said. "We have different machines, laser techniques, we have steam."

Parulkar is the man behind the new Aquablation therapy machine at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester.

"We can actually look at the prostate from here, and we can look at the prostate from here," Parulkar said. "So, all the anatomical landmarks are in our sight all the time."

The procedure uses the water to remove prostate tissue. Parulkar describes it as a game-changer for men.

"A procedure that used to take two hours to do for a large prostate now takes probably 20 to 30 minutes," Parulkar said.

Parulkar said an enlarged prostate can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage and bladder stones among other conditions.

Klimczak said the decision to have the procedure was easy. He spent two nights in the hospital before heading home.

"They removed the catheter and at that time I certainly was able to go, and everything was fine from that point on," Klimczak said.

Having experienced it, Klimczak has a message for people who may be experiencing symptoms like he had.

"Don't merely assume that this is a natural form of aging," Klimzczak said.