Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition that generally affects men aged 50 and above, resulting in an enlarged prostate.

An enlarged prostate may put pressure on the urethra, leading to a narrowing of the urethra and weakening of the bladder that together can cause discomfort and complications when passing urine.

To aid the care of those suffering from this condition, the NHS Long Term Plan has committed to accelerate the uptake of a selected suite of innovative medical devices, diagnostics, and digital products to improve the care of patients, supported by the MedTech Funding Mandate Policy (MTFM).

The MedTech Funding Mandate (MFTM) has been delivered in partnership with NHS England and the 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) which form the AHSN Network, with four NICE recommended procedures that are designed to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

The four BPH technologies are:

• Greenlight XPS – uses a laser to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate.
• Rezum – uses water vapour to destroy excess prostate tissue.
• PLASMA System – uses electrodes to cut out prostate tissue.
• UroLift^® – lifts and holds the enlarged prostate tissue away from the urethra, relieving the compression of this organ.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and the minimally invasive procedure that changed my life

Marcus Roberts, a 51-year-old company director from London had been living with a prostate problem since the age of 46, and had begun to experience challenges that were affecting his quality of life:

“I would say that when you’ve a problem with your prostate it really impacts on your quality of life, but there’s nothing embarrassing about going to see your doctor about it.

“After about a year I realised that this almost constant feeling of needing the loo wasn’t just a background problem, it was getting in the way of my life, and I needed to do something about it.”

Marcus consulted his GP who referred him to a urologist, following which Marcus underwent a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test and an MRI scan to rule out prostate cancer and was diagnosed with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

After a series of consultations, the urologist recommended The UroLift System, a minimally invasive procedure, as an alternative to the surgical procedure, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) which usually requires the patient to stay in hospital for one to three days.

“It was a no-brainer to try the UroLift option first and I was due to have the UroLift procedure just four weeks later… I’ve never had an operation before, or even been in hospital for anything, so it was all new to me but in my case, it was very straightforward.

“The whole process and the procedure were so simple. I was only in there for 30 minutes, and there was no negative impact after the procedure itself, but my quality of life improved massively.

“The patient pathway was extremely light touch. I had an ultrasound to make sure that I was suitable for the operation and then I had a very quick trip into the hospital to have the procedure and then a follow up afterwards.”

A spokesperson from Teleflex, a global provider of medical technologies designed to improve the health and quality of people’s lives and owner of the UroLift^® System, said: “The UroLift^® System is a proven, straightforward minimally invasive treatment for treating enlarged prostates. It is an early treatment option that can get men off BPH medications and avoid major surgery.”

Cath Barrow, Senior Programme Development Lead, Delivery & Development Team at Health Innovation Manchester, said: “It is so important to hear the patient voice when adopting and spreading innovation. I want to thank Marcus on sharing his story which I am sure will resonate with so many other men who may be experiencing similar symptoms, so they too can go on to have an improved quality of life.”

The MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM) policy aims to ensure NICE recommended, resource and cost saving devices reach patients faster.