Aquablation program reaches 1,000 procedures

Gerald Park, MD

Over the past three years, NKC Health’s Aquablation program has grown from being the first in Missouri to a national clinical observation site for teams looking to start their own programs.

Earlier this year, the surgical team completed its 1,000th Aquablation procedure, a milestone in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate.

“We saw Aquablation becoming the new gold standard for treating BPH in men,” said Gerald Park, MD, a urologist with KC Urology Care. “When we saw the safety profile, how well it worked and what a great experience it was for both the patient and the surgeon, we knew this was something we had to jump on.”

Aquablation is a minimally invasive, robot-assisted procedure that uses high-pressure water jets to remove extra prostate tissue. Real-time ultrasound helps protect healthy tissue and allows surgeons to customize treatment for each patient.

“More and more patients used our Aquablation services,” Dr. Park said. “Because we got such great results and such happy patients, between our promotional efforts and word of mouth, it just snowballed in a positive way.”

Since launching the program, the team has continued to build expertise and helped patients find relief from urinary symptoms. Reaching 1,000 procedures highlights their commitment to bringing advanced care to patients.

Patrick Probst, MD

According to Patrick Probst, MD, another urologist at Kansas City Urology Care, reaching this milestone shows that surgeons can care for patients in the best way possible.

“With the experience of doing so many, we’ve developed the best protocols to streamline patient recovery,” Dr. Probst said. “Since we can safely discharge patients from the hospital sooner, we have increased the number of men we can help.”

Aquablation can mean a shorter hospital stay, fewer sexual side effects and quicker recovery than traditional surgery. For many patients, the procedure allows them to get back to everyday life sooner.

“Primary care doctors are the gatekeepers for men’s health. They see men every day who live with and suffer through these urinary problems,” Dr. Probst said. “Now, because we have such a large volume of patients with fantastic outcomes, doctors can feel comfortable referring their patients to us, and we can help get these guys the care they need.”