Although the water vapor therapy is a very quick procedure, it is suggested to stay for at least a week in Puerto Vallarta in order to perform preoperative studies and perform the procedure. This time allows for a post-treatment follow-up assessment by the urologist.

Water vapor therapy acts through heat released in the water vapor, this initially causes inflammation of the prostate tissue to later decrease its size. The symptoms of prostatic hyperplasia can therefore remain immediately after performing it. Three weeks after water vapor therapy, an improvement in symptoms is noted, this improvement continues to be observed up to 6 months after.

Water vapor therapy is a procedure that has been performed for several years in the United States, Canada, Spain, among other countries. Its safety profile is quite high, which makes it an attractive option for the treatment of symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. After this procedure you may experience some bleeding in the urine, you may have a urinary tract infection, fever, mild to moderate pelvic pain among other mild discomforts, all of which are temporary and can be alleviated with medication. After doing water vapor therapy procedure, it is necessary to use a urinary catheter for 5 days. When removing the catheter there may be urinary retention due to the inflammation caused by the heat of the water vapor in the prostate tissue, for this reason, the urinary catheter could be used for more than 5 days.

Water vapor therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for the control of symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, only 4.4% of people who have vapor therapy may require additional treatment, either surgery or medication, within 4 years after the initial procedure. Water vapor therapy is a new treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, it is not yet known how many years its benefits last. However, there are very good results in terms of urinary obstruction relief and quality of life in patients who underwent water vapor therapy, even 4 years after having performed it. Studies are currently underway to measure the long-term benefits.

Before doing water vapor therapy, it is recommended to perform an ultrasound of the prostate to determine its size. The ideal candidates are patients with prostates between 30 and 80 cubic centimeters. For larger prostates, other treatment techniques can be used, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), HoLEP or open prostatectomy.

It is necessary perform imaging studies (X-rays), blood work, urinalysis and an electrocardiogram before, with this it will be reviewed by a specialist who will give a preoperative assessment letter to determine the recommendations to perform water vapor therapy more safely.

No, the water vapor therapy is indicated for the treatment of benign growth of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), in case you or your doctor suspect that you may have cancer, special studies must be done to properly diagnose and treat prostate cancer.