BPH Treatment with Rezūm (Steam Therapy)

Waking repeatedly at night, a weak urine stream or planning your day around toilets can make prostate symptoms difficult to live with. Rezūm water-vapour therapy offers selected men a minimally invasive way to reduce obstruction, with particular appeal when preserving sexual function and reducing long-term medication are priorities.

It is one of several effective options. The right choice depends on your symptoms, prostate anatomy, bladder function and what matters most to you.

Why BPH Occurs—and Why Size Is Not the Whole Story

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) becomes more common with age, especially after 50, but not every man develops troublesome symptoms. A 30–40 mL prostate may cause important obstruction, while a 70 mL prostate may cause few symptoms. Shape, the bladder outlet and bladder function also matter.

Typical symptoms include a slow or interrupted stream, hesitancy, incomplete emptying, urgency, frequent urination and waking at night. Pain, visible blood or sudden inability to urinate need assessment rather than being assumed to be ordinary BPH.

Assessment may include a symptom score, urine testing, flow measurement and ultrasound to measure the prostate and urine remaining after voiding. PSA-based cancer screening is a separate, individual decision; ultrasound does not replace it. Read our prostate health and cancer questions.

Do You Have to Try Medication First?

Not necessarily. After assessment, a suitable patient may discuss Rezūm before starting medicine, or while medicine still helps, because they prefer a procedural option. Mild symptoms may instead suit monitoring and lifestyle changes. Complications such as recurrent retention, stones or kidney problems require a different treatment discussion.

Alpha-blockers relax muscles around the prostate and bladder outlet; finasteride or dutasteride can gradually shrink an enlarged prostate. Tadalafil and medicines targeting bladder urgency are options for selected patients. Many medicines need continued use to maintain benefit, but starting treatment does not commit everyone to lifelong tablets.

Some alpha-blockers affect ejaculation or blood pressure; some prostate-shrinking medicines affect libido or erections. These effects are possible, not inevitable. Reduced or absent semen is not always retrograde ejaculation. If symptoms or side effects are troublesome, discuss changing treatment rather than stopping it yourself.

What Is Rezūm Steam Therapy?

Rezūm is Boston Scientific’s water-vapour treatment for urinary symptoms caused by BPH. A small instrument passes through the urethra and delivers controlled steam into the obstructing prostate tissue. Condensing steam releases heat, causing targeted cell death; the body gradually absorbs the treated tissue and the prostate becomes less obstructive.

There is no skin incision, no immediate cutting or scraping out of prostate tissue, and no permanent prostate implant. This differs from UroLift, which holds tissue apart using implants, and from procedures that remove tissue. Rezūm still changes the treated tissue as it shrinks; it is not an entirely unchanged prostate.

Who Is a Candidate for Rezūm?

Rezūm may suit men with bothersome BPH symptoms who want an alternative to ongoing medication or a more invasive procedure. Current US FDA clearance covers men aged 50 or older with prostate volumes of 30–150 mL, including suitable median-lobe enlargement. Selection in Dubai also follows the applicable local device information and an individual assessment. FDA clearance details.

Above 150 mL, Rezūm is outside that US indication. Dr. Amin may consider medicine to reduce size followed by reassessment after several months, sometimes around six months. This does not guarantee eligibility; a tissue-removing procedure may be a better option.

Active urinary infection must be addressed. A penile prosthesis or an artificial urinary sphincter is a contraindication to this device and must be disclosed before treatment planning. Dr. Amin can assess alternative options. Other pelvic surgery, suspected cancer or unusual anatomy also require individual review.

Step-by-Step: How the Rezūm Procedure Works

1. Planning: Dr. Amin reviews anatomy, tests, medicines and anaesthetic needs. Local anaesthesia or sedation may be suitable.
2. Treatment: A camera-guided instrument enters through the urethra. Each steam delivery lasts about nine seconds; the number and position depend on the prostate.
3. Drainage: A temporary urinary catheter usually supports drainage while swelling settles.
4. Recovery: Same-day discharge may be possible. Dr. Amin may arrange one night of observation according to your condition.

The treatment itself often takes about 10–15 minutes. Preparation, anaesthesia and recovery take additional time, so the whole visit is longer.

Benefits of Rezūm Steam Therapy

• A focused treatment without a skin incision or permanent prostate implant.
• Meaningful urinary symptom relief for appropriately selected patients.
• A favourable sexual-function preservation profile.
• Potential to reduce dependence on daily BPH medicine.
• Often suitable for outpatient care with a tailored anaesthetic plan.

Preserving erections and ejaculation is an important attraction. The pivotal trial reported reassuring sexual-function outcomes, but individual sexual or continence changes remain possible. Some men improve after a medicine causing sexual side effects is withdrawn; this is not guaranteed. Existing erectile dysfunction may need its own treatment.

What to Expect After the Procedure

Catheter: In suitable uncomplicated cases, Dr. Amin usually aims for removal around day four or five. Previous retention, a larger prostate or weak bladder function may mean two weeks or longer. A planned removal date can change if you are not yet emptying safely.

Symptoms: Improvement is gradual as swelling settles and treated tissue is absorbed. Many patients notice benefit over several weeks, with further improvement over the following months. Catheter removal does not mean the full result has arrived.

Activity: Plan light activity and a short rest period. Follow your discharge instructions for lifting, exercise, cycling, sex and travel. Drink according to your medical advice, especially if you have heart or kidney-related fluid restrictions; reduce drinks that aggravate urgency.

Medicines: Under Dr. Amin’s protocol, prostate medicine generally continues for about one month after Rezūm, then he decides whether it can be stopped.

Follow-up: Dr. Amin’s usual plan includes ultrasound and urine testing at approximately one month and six months. Earlier review is arranged when symptoms or catheter problems require it.

Possible Side Effects and When to Call

Temporary burning, urgency, frequency, pelvic discomfort and small amounts of blood in urine or semen can occur. Infection, difficulty passing urine, ejaculation changes or urinary leakage are also possible. The aim is effective treatment with a low complication burden, not a promise of zero risk.

Contact the treating team promptly for fever, worsening pain, heavy bleeding or clots, or a catheter that stops draining. Inability to pass urine needs urgent assessment.

Rezum in Patients with Other Medical Conditions

Heart disease or pacemaker: A less demanding anaesthetic approach may make assessment worthwhile for some men unsuitable for conventional surgery. Cardiac status, the implanted device and monitoring still need careful planning.

Blood thinners: Selected patients may be treated while continuing certain medicines, but bleeding risk and clotting risk must be balanced with the prescribing clinician. Do not stop or continue treatment on a generic timetable.

Parkinson’s disease or a neurogenic bladder: Prostate obstruction and neurological bladder dysfunction can coexist. Rezūm treats suitable prostate obstruction, not the neurological condition itself. Bladder testing, sometimes urodynamics, may be needed; continence improvement cannot be assumed.

Comparing Rezūm with TURP, HoLEP, Aquablation and UroLift

These treatments address different priorities and should be compared fairly. Rezūm offers gradual tissue reduction without immediate tissue removal or a permanent implant. UroLift mechanically opens the channel using implants. TURP, HoLEP and Aquablation remove obstructing tissue and may offer more substantial relief when obstruction or prostate size calls for it.

Discuss five questions: how much improvement to expect, ejaculation preservation, recovery, durability, and the chance of needing further treatment. Sexual and urinary outcomes differ between techniques; a single complication percentage cannot represent all operations or all patients. Our guide to prostate procedures explains the choices.

Clinical Studies, Durability and Repeat Treatment

The pivotal randomized study demonstrated sustained improvement through five years in men whose prostates measured 30–80 mL. At five years, symptom scores were reduced by 48%, and surgical retreatment was 4.4%. That retreatment figure concerns another procedure, not every return to medication, and does not automatically apply to all larger glands. Read the five-year study.

The duration of benefit varies between patients. If symptoms return, the cause should be reassessed. Repeat Rezūm or another treatment may be appropriate; prior Rezūm does not necessarily prevent later prostate surgery.

Cost of Rezūm Therapy and Insurance

The indicative price range listed for Rezūm treatment is AED 30,000–50,000. Your individual written quotation should confirm the procedure, disposable device, facility, anaesthesia and follow-up included, together with any additional tests or care.

Some insurance policies may cover part of treatment. Coverage depends on your policy, medical necessity, provider network and any required prior authorization. Obtain confirmation before treatment; having insurance does not itself guarantee reimbursement.

Why Choose Dr. Amin for Your Rezūm Assessment?

Dr. Amin Mir Sadeghi brings more than four years of Rezūm experience, with approximately 100–150 cases a year, alongside his wider urology and andrology practice. His approach centres on matching treatment to prostate anatomy, bladder function, sexual priorities and your preferred recovery plan.

Bring your scans, test results and medication list to discuss whether Rezūm, continued medication or another procedure fits you best. Book your Rezūm consultation in Dubai, or explore a premium private consultation. See the Rezum treatment overview and Dr. Amin’s Rezūm videos.

Selected Medical References

• FDA: expanded Rezūm clearance
• Boston Scientific: indications and safety information
• Pivotal five-year clinical trial
• Five-year sexual-function analysis
• EAU: treatment options for male urinary symptoms
• NIDDK: enlarged prostate