TUNA: A New Procedure at RHSHC
For nearly nine years, Gundersen-Lutheran Urologist,
Dr. Scott Klein, has been providing evaluations, consultations,
and treatments for a variety of urological conditions.
Now he has started performing a relatively new procedure, TUNA
(Trans-urethral Needle Ablation) on men suffering from Benign
Prostatic Hyperplasia (BHP). Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a
non-cancerous enlargement of the prostrate that restricts the
flow of urine from the bladder. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia affects
the quality of life of more than 30 million men worldwide. It
is usually seen in men over 40 years of age.
When Dr. Klein was asked who a likely candidate for the procedure
might be, he explained that some men are not bothered by the symptoms
of BHP and he simply follows their case. For those who consider
it a nuisance, it is first addressed with medication. Some men
do not like the side effects of the drugs. The TUNA procedure
avoids medication and radical surgery that requires opening the
prostrate. Radical surgery involves a few days of hospitalization,
4 to 6 weeks recovery, and a 4 to 5% impotence rate according
to Dr. Klein. On the other hand, TUNA is an outpatient procedure
done with local anesthesia, with minimal complications and little
or no hospital stay (half of the men go home the same day without
a catheter, and the following day they can do what they want.)
TUNA is one third the cost of radical surgery, there is no incontinence,
and no impotence.
Doctor Klein studied at the University of Michigan Medical School,
did his Urological Residency at Baylor in Houston, Texas, and
has been at Gundersen-Lutheran for 16 years. He received his training
in this procedure at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He performs
this TUNA procedure at the RHS Hospital.
