MOULTRIE —  Colquitt Regional Medical Center is now one of only two healthcare organizations in South Georgia to offer Aquablation® therapy with the new HYDROS™ Robotic System, the hospital announced last week.

This next-generation platform is used to treat men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as an enlarged prostate. Aquablation therapy is clinically proven to provide significant symptom relief while preserving sexual function and continence across prostates of all shapes and sizes, Colquitt Regional said in a press release.

According to the Urology Care Foundation, about half of all men between the ages of 51 and 60 have BPH, and up to 90 percent of men over age 80 have it. Common indicators that a man may be experiencing BPH are the need to urinate immediately or urgently, urinating more often than normal, and urinating frequently at night.

Without timely treatment, BPH can lead to severe health issues such as permanent bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence. The standard treatment option today is surgery, but this has been shown to impact sexual function and continence, the hospital said.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to bring the latest and most innovative treatments to our community, we are excited to add Aquablation therapy,” said Colquitt Regional Health System President and CEO Jim Matney. “This state-of-the-art technology is the latest addition to our growing arsenal of advanced medical solutions and will greatly benefit the men in our region who deal with BPH.”

Aquablation therapy was designed to offer a minimally invasive and effective solution for BPH. This therapy is unique in its use of real-time, ultrasound-guided, robotic-assisted waterjet technology, allowing surgeons to create a personalized treatment plan that precisely targets which prostate tissue to remove and which to preserve. With this tailored approach, the system accurately removes problematic tissue while safeguarding critical anatomy and function.

Leveraging insights from over 50,000 procedures, the HYDROS technology utilizes treatment planning, advanced image guidance, robotic resection, and a streamlined workflow. HYDROS is designed to improve efficiency, enhance surgeon and staff experience, and deliver a more accurate and consistent treatment plan for better clinical outcomes, the hospital’s press release said.

“The clinically proven procedure integrates next-generation ultrasound imaging and digital cystoscopy to provide the surgeon with a multi-dimensional, detailed view of the entire prostate, enabling personalized treatment planning tailored to each patient’s unique anatomy,” Colquitt Regional said. “Utilizing a heat-free waterjet, the robot executes the surgeon-defined treatment plan to remove obstructive tissue while protecting critical anatomy. This enables efficient and predictable waterjet resection, standardizing the operative experience across a wide range of prostate sizes and shapes.”

“By providing this cutting-edge care right here at home, we’re ensuring our patients have access to the best possible outcomes without having to travel far for top-tier, high-tech treatments,” said Hospital Authority Chairman John Griffin.

Both Sterling Group Urology urologists, Emerson Harrison, MD, FACS, and Jeremy Goodman, MD, are trained in Aquablation therapy and are now offering this treatment.

For more information on this new therapy, contact the Colquitt Regional Marketing Department at 229-890-3552.