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Traditional
enlarged prostate treatments come in the following three forms:
Non
surgical treatments;
Non surgical or minimally invasive treatments deliver heat in order
to destroy enlarged prostatic tissue. They may be based upon
microwave of radio frequency energy.
Medication;
This is often the first line of defense against an enlarged prostate.
The drugs, however, must be maintained for life. This can add up to
a significant, often exorbitant cost. Adverse side effects also make
medication a questionable alternative. Side effects may include
fatigue, headache, dizziness, impotence and loss of sex drive.
Surgery;
Patients who fail to respond to less invasive treatment options may
be offered surgery. Surgery to reduce the size of the prostate,
however, does carry its own risks. 25% of patients who go under the
knife end up with erectile dysfunction, 75% have retrograde
ejaculation and 1 -3% suffer from incontinence after surgery.
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