tuna
Medtronic TUNA® (Transurethral Needle Ablation) Therapy
A minimally invasive treatment for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
- Uses precisely focused radio frequency energy to ablate prostate tissue
- Allows you to treat your patients in an outpatient, office setting using local anesthesia.
- Relieves many of the obstructive and irritating voiding symptoms your patients suffer due to BPH
- Treats median and lateral lobe as well as asymmetrical prostates*
- Associated with few side effects and adverse events
- Covered by Medicare in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, as well as most commercial and managed care plans
- According to a 2003 study, TUNA [Therapy] is effective and provides good long-term clinical improvement at 5-year follow-up.
TUNA® Procedure
The TUNA procedure generally takes less than 1 hour with some additional preparation time required. A catheter is inserted into the urethra. The catheter projects small needles into the obstructing prostate tissue. The needles emit radiofrequency (RF) energy, heating the prostate. The therapy is intended to destroy the excess prostate tissue, while leaving the urethra and the rest of the prostate intact.
After the procedure, about 40% of the patients are unable to urinate initially and need to be catheterized–usually not more than 3 days on average. About 60% of patients do not require catheterization. Patients are able to return to most normal activities within 24-48 hours.
TUNA Therapy is associated with few side effects and adverse events.
There is minimal discomfort post-TUNA Therapy; this can generally be relieved with over-the-counter pain medicines.
A patient will usually notice improvement within 2-6 weeks. However, results may vary depending on the severity, duration, and size of the prostate treated.
How It Works
TUNA® Therapy delivers low levels of radio frequency energy directly and precisely into the prostate. The TUNA Generator is a portable, line-powered, dual channel generator, capable of producing up to 15 watts (W) per channel. The generator produces low power RF energy at 460 kHz, which is applied to prostatic tissue to produce a localized coagulated necrotic lesion.
RF energy has been used since the 1920s, primarily in cardiac and neurosurgery treatments; RF has been recognized as a safe and effective treatment for many medical conditions.
Radiofrequency (RF) energy is delivered via two electrodes into the prostate tissue for selective ablation of specific areas. It causes thermal ablation through a combination of RF energy and inductive heating of water molecules in the tissue. The theory is that it devascularizes and denervates the prostatic tissue, which may result in BPH symptom relief and improved urine flow.
