Minimally Invasive BPH Treatment for Enlarged Prostate
UroLift is a minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called enlarged prostate. It can help relieve urinary symptoms such as weak urine stream, frequent urination, urgency, and waking up at night to urinate.
Unlike some BPH procedures, UroLift does not involve cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Instead, small implants lift and hold enlarged prostate tissue away from the urethra to help improve urine flow.
At CLS Health, our urologists provide UroLift consultations in Houston and can help determine whether this treatment is appropriate for your symptoms, prostate size, anatomy, and health history.
What is UroLift?
UroLift is a treatment for urinary symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). During the procedure, a urologist places small implants that lift enlarged prostate tissue away from the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. By opening the urinary channel, UroLift can help improve urine flow and reduce symptoms such as weak stream, urgency, and frequent urination.
UroLift is typically performed as an outpatient procedure and does not involve cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue.
Who Is a Candidate for UroLift?
UroLift may be an option for men with bothersome urinary symptoms (e.g., frequent urination) from BPH who want a minimally invasive treatment with a shorter recovery time than some traditional procedures.
A urologist will evaluate your prostate size, urinary symptoms, anatomy, medical history, and current medications to determine whether UroLift is appropriate. Some patients may not be candidates, including those with active urinary tract infection or certain prostate anatomy that may require a different treatment approach.
What to Expect Before and After UroLift
At CLS Health, we begin with a thorough evaluation to ensure you receive the most appropriate and effective care for your condition. After confirming you are a good candidate for UroLift, your procedure date will be scheduled. Here’s what you can expect throughout your UroLift treatment.
Your evaluation helps confirm whether UroLift is the right option for your symptoms and anatomy. Screening tests help your urologist evaluate your prostate size, urinary symptoms, anatomy, and overall health before recommending UroLift. Some patients may need a different treatment approach, including those with an active urinary tract infection, very large prostate size, or prostate anatomy that may not be ideal for UroLift.
Understanding your health history is vital for personalized care during a UroLift procedure. During your pre-procedure appointment, we will review any updates to your medical history, including any chronic conditions, past surgeries, family health history, and medications. We will also provide information about the day of the procedure, including whether you need to fast, if you need transportation home, and more. Be sure to ask any questions you have related to the procedure.
On the day of your UroLift procedure, you will be given either general or local anesthesia. One of our urologists will insert a cystoscope, a thin instrument with a camera, through the urethra to visualize the prostate. Small UroLift implants are then placed to lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue away from the urethra. The procedure typically takes less than an hour; most patients do not require an overnight stay. After the procedure, some men may need a catheter for a short period, while many are able to urinate before leaving.
After the procedure, our team will provide detailed post-operative care instructions to support your UroLift recovery. We will schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress and address any concerns. Many patients notice symptom improvement within the first few weeks and can return to normal activities within a few days, depending on their provider’s instructions. If you experience side effects that persist or worsen over time, it’s important you contact your urologist.
Benefits of UroLift for BPH
For appropriately selected patients, UroLift may offer several benefits compared with more invasive BPH procedures:
- Minimally Invasive: The UroLift procedure is less invasive than traditional surgical options for BPH, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). It involves no cutting, heating, or removal of prostate tissue.
- Quick Recovery: Most patients experience a fast recovery and can return to normal activities within a few days. The procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis, meaning no overnight hospital stay is required.
- Lower Risk of Sexual Side Effects: UroLift is designed to preserve sexual function, with a low risk of erectile dysfunction or retrograde ejaculation compared with some traditional BPH procedures.
- Long-Term Results: Clinical studies have shown that symptom improvement can last several years for many patients, though individual results may vary.
Schedule a UroLift Consultation in Houston
If enlarged prostate symptoms are affecting your sleep, comfort, or daily routine, a CLS Health urologist can help you understand your treatment options.
Schedule a consultation today to find out whether UroLift or another enlarged prostate treatment is right for you.
FAQs
UroLift results can last several years for many patients. Clinical studies have shown symptom improvement lasting at least five years, although individual results vary. Some men may need additional BPH treatment in the future.
Yes. UroLift implants can be removed if needed, although this is uncommon. If symptoms persist, return, or another prostate procedure is needed later, your urologist can discuss the safest next step.
Temporary urinary urgency, frequency, burning, or mild discomfort can occur after UroLift. These symptoms often improve within a few days to a few weeks as the prostate and urinary tract recover. Contact your urologist if symptoms worsen, do not improve, or are accompanied by fever, inability to urinate, or severe pain.
UroLift can significantly improve urinary symptoms and urine flow for appropriately selected men with BPH. Results vary based on prostate size, anatomy, symptom severity, and overall health. Your urologist can help determine whether UroLift is likely to be effective for you.
TURP removes prostate tissue to improve urine flow, while UroLift uses small implants to hold enlarged prostate tissue away from the urethra without cutting, heating, or removing tissue. UroLift is typically outpatient and often has a shorter recovery time. TURP may be more appropriate for some men with larger prostates, more severe obstruction, or anatomy that is not ideal for UroLift.
Many insurance plans, including Medicare, may cover UroLift when medically appropriate. Coverage depends on your specific plan, benefits, and any prior authorization requirements. CLS Health accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and many major insurance plans. Contact your insurance provider or CLS Health for help confirming coverage.
- Aetna Select
- Open Access Selects
- Elect Choice
- Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Choice POS II
- Managed Choice
- Open Choice PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage Plans
CLS Health does not accept:
- Aetna CVS Marketplace Plans
* Some providers may not accept this insurance, please call to confirm.
- Superior Ambetter Core (Complete, Clear, Focused, Standard Silver and Gold)
- Superior Ambetter Value (Clear Value Silver, Focused Value Silver, CMS Standard Silver & Gold Value, Everyday Value Gold)
- Superior Ambetter Virtual (Ambetter Virtual Access Silver, CMS Standard Virtual Access Basic Silver, Ambetter Virtual Access Gold)
- Superior Health Plan CHIP*
- Superior Health Plan MAPD (Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug)
- Superior Health Plan Medicare
- Superior Health Plan MMP Medicaid*
- Superior Health Plan MMP Medicare
- Superior Health Plan STAR*
- Superior Health Plan STAR Kids*
- Superior Health Plan STAR+PLUS*
CLS Health participates in most Blue Cross Blue Shield plans including:
- Blue Choice PPO
- Blue Essentials
- Blue Essentials Access
- HealthSelect
- HealthSelect of Texas In Area
- Consumer Directed HealthSelect in Area
- HealthSelect of Texas Out of State
- Consumer Directed Health Select Out of State
- HealthSelect Secondary 65+
- Medicare Advantage HMO
- Medicare Advantage PPO
- Medicare Advantage Value HMO
- POS
- Traditional/Par Plan
- TRS-Active Care
- TRS-Care Standard
- BCBS MyBlue Health (Marketplace)
*Some providers may not accept Community Health Choice, please call to confirm.
- MarketplacePremier
- Medicaid*CHIPCHIP PerinateSTAR
- Medicare AdvantageDual-Special Needs Plan (D-SNP)
- ChoiceCare PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- HMO Premier
- Medicare Advantage Plans
- HumanaChoice - Medicare Advantage PPO plan
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan
- Human Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage HMO & Special Needs Plan
- Military (TRICARE South Region Military Health Plan)
- POS - including Choice POS, National POS Open Access/Plus and Preferred POS Open Access.
- PPO
*Some providers may not accept United Healthcare, please call to confirm.
- Commercial, HMO, POS, EPO and PPO Plans (Charter, Choice,Core, Doctors Plan, Freedon, Heritage, Navigate, Nexus ACO, Options PPO, Passport Connect, Select)
- Indemnity
- Medicare Advantage (AARP, Care Improvement Plus, C-SNP, D-SNP, I-SNP, Erickson Advantage, ERS Medicare Advantage, TRS-Care Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare Chronic Complete, UnitedHealthcare Connected (Medicare-Medicaid Plan), UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete, UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage PPO, United Healthcare Medicare Complete)
- Community Plans* (CHIP, CHIP Perinate, Star, Star Kids, Star Plus, MMP)
- Wellmed (Wellmed Dual SNP Focus, Wellmed Medicare Advantage Focus)
*Some providers may not accept Wellpoint, please call to confirm.
- Medicaid (All Texas Plans Including the Below)*
- CHIP
- CHIP Perinate
- STAR
- STAR+PLUS
- STAR Kids
- Medicare Advantage
- C-SNP
- D-SNP
- I-SNP
- Medicare Advantage HMO
- Medicare-Medicaid (MMP)
- Medicare-Medicaid Program (MMP)
- STAR+PLUS MMP
*Some providers may not accept insurance, please call to confirm.
PPO Networks
- Beechstreet PPO
- Carnival Cruise Lines PPO
- Envolve Benefit Options Vision-PPO, HMO
- First Health
- Curative/First Health
- Galaxy Health Network
- HealthSmart Preferred Care
- Accel
- Healthsmart Payors Organization
- Multiplan PPO
- Tricare (Humana) PPO/Prime
Employer-Specific Plans
- Brazoria County Employees – Aetna TPA Brazoria County Employees
Workers’ Compensation Plans
- Workers’ Comp
- Auto & Workers’ Comp
Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- Medicare Traditional
- Medicare Advantage
- Memorial Hermann Health Solutions Commercial and Medicare
- Molina Medicare Complete Care HMO SNP
- Medicare-Medicaid Program (MMP)
- STAR+PLUS MMP
- Alignment Health Plan
- AllyAlign Health
- American Health Plans
- Florida Complete Care
- Gold Kidney Health Plan
- Imperial Health
- Independent Health
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado
- Mass Advantage
- Presbyterian Health Plan
- PriorityHealth
- Provider Partners
- SCAN
- UCare
- Vantage Health Plan
- Verda Healthcare
- Zing Health
Medicaid and CHIP Programs
- Molina Healthcare* (Marketplace, Medicaid, CHIP, CHIP Perinate, STAR, STAR Kids, STAR+PLUS)
- Texas Children's Health Plans*
- TMHP (Traditional Medicaid) Traditional Medicaid
Specialty Plans
- VA Community Cares Network CCN
