FAQ

Gat Goren Method for treatment of enlarged prostate gland (BPH)

FAQ

What is prostatic enlargement and how does it manifest itself?

Enlargement of the prostate gland (often called benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH, for short), is an extremely common medical problem in men.  It is present in 40% of men in their 50’s, and in nearly 70% of men in their 60’s.

The incidence increases further in men in their 70’s and older.

Prostatic enlargement can affect a man’s urinary function in many ways.  The degree of severity ranges from being a nuisance to requiring major accommodations to a person’s lifestyle, and even can be a cause for hospitalization and bladder catheterization for an inability to urinate (acute urinary retention).  It can cause significant sleep disturbance—requiring one to wake frequently through the night (nocturia).

 

What is the Gat Goren Method?

As a result of years of study of male pelvic anatomy, Dr. Yigal Gat and Dr. Menachem Goren have developed a groundbreaking treatment method to treat BPH, without the potential side effects and complications of other treatments.  The treatment they have developed is based on a non-surgical interventional radiology method which is performed in the upper groin area, using local anesthesia (freezing).  The treatment takes only about two hours.  Using venous access in the groin, a small diameter catheter is inserted, and maneuvered toward the veins of the back wall of the abdomen.  These veins are usually found to be incompetent (allowing back flow of blood), like varicose veins in the legs.   This network of abnormal veins that is responsible for the development of BPH is closed.  Doing this stops the abnormal flow of testosterone from the testes to the prostate gland, while simultaneously reducing the pressure in the veins, which together are responsible for BPH.

Soon after treatment the prostate gland begins to shrink and patients report an improvement in their symptoms as quickly as within a month.

This treatment has been described in several scientific journals, including Andrologia, and the European Urological Review Journal, as a revolutionary means of treating BPH.  (See the accompanying articles).

What are the benefits of the treatment?

  1. No risk of impotence (reduced ability to obtain an erection).
  2. No abdominal surgery or scars
  3. None of the risks and side effects seen in prostate surgery, which may include impotence and reduced bladder control (urinary incontinence).
  4. No significant discomfort during or after the treatment
  5. No hospitalization.
  6. Local anesthesia-you do not need to be put to sleep, which reduces the risk of the procedure
  7. No risk of urinary incontinence
  8. Does not involve the sexual organs
  9. No possible risk to male fertility
  10. Relatively quick procedure (about two hours)
  11. The patient can return to normal lifestyle after 48 hours, including normal sexual function.  Non biking related exercise can be resumed after 48 hours.  Biking can be resumed after 4-6 weeks in most instances.

Can the treatment harm sexual function?

No, the treatment has no deleterious effects on sexual function (in contrast to some of the surgical treatments).  In fact, sexual function typically improves.

 

What is the success rate of the Gat-Goren Method?

Improvement in symptoms and significant decrease in size of the prostate is seen in 85% of patients.

 

How long does it take to see improvement?

Within weeks to few month of the treatment, improvement can be noted.

 

Does the treatment directly involve the prostate gland or sexual organs?

No.  The treatment is carried out on the veins in the back wall of the abdomen and does not directly affect the prostate gland, the all-important pathways of urine and semen or the arterial supply to these organs.

What tests are used to make the diagnosis of prostate disease?

The diagnosis of prostate disease often involves the following additional tests:

  1. Ultrasound of the prostate gland, often performed by placing the ultrasound probe in the rectum (transurethral ultrasound of the prostate-TRUS). Can be done also abdominally.
  2. A blood test for PSA (prostate specific antigen) which detects the activity of the prostate cells.
  3. Rectal examination by your family physician or urologist.
  4. Evaluation of bladder residual volume—the amount of urine that remains in the bladder after the patient has urinated.

 

How do I know if I have an enlarged prostate?

Your family physician is trained to recognize the signs of symptoms of prostate enlargement.   You may be sent to a urologist for a more thorough examination of your urinary tract in order to make the diagnosis.

Enlargement of the prostate gland (“BPH”) has several possible clinical manifestations.  It can result in a feeling of needing to urinate frequently (“urinary frequency”), a sudden, irresistible need to urinate (“urinary urgency”), a sense that you cannot completely empty the bladder,  a weak urinary stream, difficulty to get the urinary stream started (“hesitation”),  continued dripping of urine for some time after stopping urination (“dribbling”), an inability to control the need to urinate, pain on urination (“dysuria”), or inability to urinate ( full fledged urinary obstruction), a need to urinate during the night (“nocturia”), and/or  frequent lower urinary tract infections.

 

Who are the physicians that perform this treatment?

The physicians that perform the treatment are the actual developers of the Gat Goren method.  Both physicians are respected internationally for their pioneering work in this field:

Dr. Yigal Gat, the head of the fertility unit at Mayenei Hayeshua hospital in B’nei B’rak, Israel, is respected internationally as an expert in prostate treatments.  Dr. Gat transitioned into medicine from an academic background in engineering (with a B.Sc. and Master’s degree in engineering from the Technion, “Israel’s MIT”).  During his residency at the Rabin Medical Center, affiliated with Tel Aviv University, he sub-specialized in male infertility problems.  He continued his subspecialty training at the University Hospital of Ghent, Belgium with Prof. Frank Comhaire and Prof. Mark Kunnen, the respective heads of the Fertility Unit and Radiology department there at that time.  His research in the prostate field is extensive and well documented.

Dr. Menachem Goren is one of the world's leading diagnostic radiologists, who came to Israel from the U.S. over 20 years ago.  He graduated from Harvard University with an A.B. in biology, and then studied medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia.  His diagnostic radiology residency and a subsequent neuroradiology fellowship were done at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.   He gained firsthand experience in techniques for non-surgical interventional treatment at the University of Ghent, under Professor Mark Kunnen, then the head of the radiology department.

 

How does the process work for people coming from overseas?

The Gat Goren clinic in Israel accepts patients from all around the world.  The clinic team makes considerable efforts to ensure that their timetable meets the needs of patients, and the time restrictions on those patients who have come from overseas. Therefore, the clinic takes care to ensure that responses are personal, discrete and convenient. This is done in a few simple steps:

 

New Israeli prostate treatment gives patients new hope…

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