Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA)

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Risks

By Mayo Clinic staff

Risks of TUNA include:

  • Trouble urinating. Some men have trouble urinating (urinary retention) after the procedure. If this happens, you may need a tube in place to carry urine from your bladder (catheter) for a few days to a few weeks or more.
  • Urinary tract infection. A urinary tract infection is more likely to occur the longer you have a catheter in place, and may require antibiotics or other treatment.
  • Need for re-treatment. Some men who have TUNA later require more treatment — usually surgery. The need for additional treatment after TUNA is more likely than it is after surgery, either because symptoms return or because they never adequately improve. Some men need further treatment because they develop prostate irritation (chronic prostatitis).
References
  1. AUA guideline on the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia: Diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Baltimore, Md.: American Urological Association. http://www.auanet.org/content/guidelines-and-quality-care/clinical-guidelines/main-reports/bph-management/chapt_1_appendix.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2009.
  2. Cunningham GR, et al. Surgical and other invasive therapies of benign prostatic hyperplasia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.
  3. d'Ancona FC. Nonablative minimally invasive thermal therapies in the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. Current Opinion in Urology. 2008;18:21.
  4. Bouza, C, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of transurethral needle ablation in symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. BMC Urology. 2006;6:14.
  5. Fitzpatrick JM, et al. Minimally invasive and endoscopic management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. In: Wein AJ, et al. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/125743340-3/0/1445/91.html?tocnode=54305416&fromURL=91.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.

MY00608

May 12, 2009

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