Blast of steam shrinks an enlarged prostate

A BlAST of steam can help shrink an enlarged prostate.

The procedure, known as Rezum, has been introduced into a number of UK hospitals, including at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith and Basingstoke Hospital.

Surgeons use a handheld device which emits bursts of steam into the enlarged prostate tissue. The steam kills the tissue, taking pressure off the urethra and making urinating easier.

A review in the journal Current opinion in Urology has looked at the three-year clinical data and found the technique is very effective.

‘It offers rapid relief of urinary tract symptoms without compromising sexual function,’ said the researchers from Munich University.