Rezum

What is Rezum?

Rezum is a new technology that uses heated sterile water vapour (steam) reduce the size of enlarged prostates to help men with urinary symptoms (LUTS). It uses steam to heat up the prostate and kill some of the excess prostate tissue. The device has a number of safety features to make sure the correct amount of steam and heat energy is applied so that the heat energy is contained within the prostate. Initially there is some swelling of the prostate but over time your body removes the dead cells and the prostate shrinks.

The steam is injected under direct vision using a camera. The surgeon will plan the number of injections based on the size and shape of your prostate.

How well does Rezum work?

Rezum is proven to work in men with LUTS caused by medium sized prostates (30cc-80cc). For these men Rezum is more effective than medication (such as alpha-blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors) and has fewer potential side effects than other surgical procedures such as a TURP or a laser prostate enucleation (HoLEP).

However, although Rezum has few potential side effects it is less good at improving symptoms compared with a TURP or HoLEP. Rezum has not yet been shown to work in men with retention of urine, very poor bladder emptying (chronic retention) or very large prostates (>80cc) so your urologist would only recommend Rezum in these cases if there were exceptional circumstances.

How long will my Rezum treatment last?

Less than 5% of patients (1 in 20 patients) require further prostate treatments within 5 years of having Rezum. As Rezum is a new technology we do not know the long-term results as so far studies have only followed up patients for 5 years.

Further information

Details of the clinical studies looking at Rezum and videos of the procedure are available on the manufactures website (Boston Scientific) and an information leaflet is available on the British Association of Urological Surgeons website.