China's first case of Transurethral Prostate Suspension – UroLift was completed at Beijing United Family Hospital

BEIJING, Nov.
1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Benign prostatic hyperplasia with lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS) is a common condition
that plagues older men for urination and quality of life 。 Adhering to the "patient-centered" United Family Healthcare, for the majority of male patients, constantly innovating medical concepts, equipment and technology, exclusively introducing a new way of minimally invasive treatment of BPH/LUTS -- Prostate Urethral Lift (PUL surgery) - UroLift
.

On October 28, 2022, China's first UroLift surgery was completed at Beijing United Family Hospital, which can also be said to be a gift
from United Family to men on World Men's Health Day.

As the first case in China, what is the specific situation of the operation? What are the advantages of this new treatment modality? What significance can it bring to the treatment of BPH/LUTS in China? Beijing United Family Hospital gives the answer
.

The team worked together to return home to the 62-year-old patient 4 hours after surgery

The 62-year-old patient of the surgery had been taking drugs for BPH for many years, and although his urination symptoms improved, the side effects of the medication prevented him from continuing to tolerate the medication
.
A minimally invasive treatment that can solve their urination symptoms without impairing sexual function ^[1] has become an urgent need
.

After Beijing United Family Hospital announced the UroLift surgery, the patient went for consultation
as soon as possible.
The hospital's urologist evaluated it comprehensively and immediately scheduled the surgery
after determining that the patient met the indications for UroLift and that there were no relevant contraindications.

Because it was the first UroLift operation in China, the Department of Urology of Beijing United Family Hospital made all-round preparations, including the configuration of the surgical team and the preparation
of theory, technology, and equipment.
The operation was led by Professor Zhu Gang, Chief of Surgery and Urology at Beijing United Family Hospital, assisted by Associate Chief Physician Zhang Kai, Associate Professor Wang Wei and Dr.
Li Hongbo, and was completed
by the Department of Urology of Beijing United Family Hospital.

The team used a transurethral ultra-minimally invasive method to place prostatic pins in the patient's prostate urethra, so that the prostate gland pressure on the urethra can be relieved and the urethra
is restored.
The operation lasted 20 minutes, the process was very smooth, there was almost no bleeding during the operation, the patient completed self-urination after anesthesia awakening, and was discharged home
4 hours after the operation.

After a few days of recovery, patients will no longer be dependent on drug treatment, get rid of the symptoms of prostatic hyperplasia, restore the patency of urination, and completely protect sexual function ^[1].

Diagnosis and treatment in line with international standards and customized rigorous treatment process

The first UroLift operation in China was also guided by Professor Wang Jianye, Director of the National Center for Geriatrics, Chairman of the Beijing Society of Urology, Former Vice Chairman of the Urology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association (CUA), and former President of Beijing Hospital, including patient selection, surgical implementation, postoperative treatment and follow-up
.

At the same time, Professor Wang also visited Beijing United Family Hospital to participate in and guide the development of the first operation, and put forward suggestions
for further standardization of the UroLift operation.

Professor Wang Jianye said, "The successful operation is the result of many years of theoretical technology and clinical experience accumulated by Professor Zhu Gang's team, and with the current level of urology at Beijing United Family Hospital, I believe that more patients with BPH/LUTS can get rid of their troubles
.
" Professor Wang is also very optimistic about the use of UroLift surgery in the treatment of BPH/LUTS patients, believing that this will be the trend of
BPH/LUTS surgical treatment.

Regarding the successful completion of the first UroLift operation in China, Professor Zhu Gang said after the operation: "It is our honor and responsibility
to start with Beijing United Family Hospital for such a high-precision technology as UroLift to land in China.
We hope to benefit more patients with BPH through the UroLift procedure, enabling them to enjoy modern life
with a higher quality.
"

At the same time, Beijing United Family Hospital, which has always been patient-centered, has also made a lot of preparations and formulated rigorous standards and procedures
in the process of UroLift entering clinical treatment.
Director Zhu said: "We have been working hard to do a good job in medical treatment
.
With the introduction of this technology, we have done a lot of medical evidence in the early stage, and through learning relevant theories, receiving technical training, and accumulating more clinical experience, we provide patients with international standards of safe and high-quality medical services
.
"

Teleflex, which provided the miniature urethral suspension device, also provided all-round support for the operation, not only sending a team to ensure the operation site, but also arranging for Drs.
Dale Zunke and Molly Carrol to guide the operation online through the remote conference system to escort the safety of the operation
.

New options for minimally invasive treatment Recovery is fast and has few complications

Statistics show that more than 50% of men aged 60-69 years old have related symptoms, and more than 90% of men aged 70-89 years old have varying degrees of prostatic hyperplasia accompanied by lower urinary tract symptoms ^[2], such as frequent urination, urgency, deformation of the urinary line, incomplete urination, post-urine dripping and increased nocturia
.
And with the progression of the disease, it can also cause hematuria, urinary retention, lower urinary tract infection, bladder stones, urinary incontinence, bladder or kidney function damage
.

At present, the methods commonly used to treat BPH/LUTS are drug therapy and surgical treatment
.

Among them, drug treatment requires lifelong medication, and the related symptoms will repeat
after stopping the drug.
Side effects of the drug include erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, orthostatic hypotension, retrograde ejaculation, etc
.
Surgical treatment methods such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) will have risks such as resection syndrome, intraoperative bleeding requiring blood transfusion, postoperative bleeding requiring secondary surgery to stop bleeding, as well as postoperative indwelling urinary catheters, long postoperative recovery time, urinary incontinence, urethral stricture, erectile dysfunction, retrograde ejaculation and other complications
.

The Transurethral Implantation of Prostate Nails-UroLift System, developed by Teleflex, eliminates the need to cut or heat prostate tissue
.
^[1] Compared with the pain and trauma caused by traditional surgery, UroLift can shorten the recovery time, and most patients do not need to have an indwelling urinary catheter after surgery, improving the efficiency of surgery, making the treatment of BPH/LUTS patients become "day-return surgery" (same-day surgery, same-day home).

This technique can be performed under local or general anesthesia and helps to wean off medications, improve urination symptoms, do not affect the patient's erectile function, and have no retrograde ejaculation complications ^[1].

UroLift technology was approved by the US FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) in 2013 ^[3], has been used internationally for nearly 10 years, nearly 400,000 patients have been treated with this technology, and it is supported
by multiple clinical studies.
As an ultra-minimally invasive treatment, it has been widely recognized and accepted
by international medical professionals.

In 2022, the China Food and Drug Administration approved the use of UroLift in Chinese mainland ^[4].

UroLift is currently used in China for patients with BPH/LUTS with a prostate volume of 30-80ml
.

According to the agreement between United Family Healthcare and Teleflex, UroLift will be exclusively available
in four hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Source:

[1]

[2] "New medical device treats urinary symptoms related to enlarged prostate" FDA

[3] "First U.
S.
Patient Treated Following FDA Clearance of NeoTract's UroLift System"

[4] "Teleflex Announces Regulatory Clearance for its UroLift® System in China for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)"