Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital｜Urology Department Performs Prostatic Water Balloon Dilation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

A New Minimally Invasive Option for Patients with BPH

89-year-old Mr. Wu has long suffered from urinary troubles. For a decade, he got up to urinate an average of seven to eight times every night, sometimes more than ten times. His urine flow was weak and sluggish, and in severe cases, he could not urinate at all, requiring repeated catheterization for relief. Mr. Wu also has hypertension, diabetes, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which he manages with long-term medications. The urinary difficulty has been a heavy burden for him.

Mr. Wu previously took oral medications for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with little improvement. Due to his poor physical condition, he was ineligible for conventional surgery. Upon learning that Director Ge Jingping practices at the Department of Urology, Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School, he came to seek treatment.

After examinations, Director Ge Jingping found that Mr. Wu’s prostate was not markedly enlarged. However, urodynamic testing revealed severe bladder outlet obstruction. “The severity of BPH cannot be judged solely by prostate size. In cases like Mr. Wu’s, fibrotic prostatic hyperplasia may cause contraction of the urinary outlet and lead to urinary difficulty,” Director Ge recommended surgical intervention.

Director Ge Jingping (first from right) during surgery

Traditional transurethral prostate resection requires general anesthesia and removal of hyperplastic tissue, with a relatively long operative time. Given Mr. Wu’s compromised cardiopulmonary function, this conventional procedure carried high risks. After thorough assessment and repeated discussions, Director Ge’s team opted for transurethral prostatic water balloon dilation, a minimally invasive technique that uses a specialized water balloon to expand the hyperplastic prostate and relieve urinary obstruction. The whole surgery took only around 20 minutes. Mr. Wu maintained stable vital signs postoperatively and achieved unobstructed urination after catheter removal.

The Department of Urology at Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital reminds middle-aged and elderly people to watch for abnormal urinary symptoms (nocturia ≥2 times, thin urine stream, straining to urinate). Do not hesitate to seek medical help — minimally invasive treatments are available even for patients with hypertension or diabetes. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical, as delayed care may result in hydronephrosis, recurrent infections and even life-threatening complications.

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