iTind - New Minimally Invasive Therapy for the Treatment of Benign Prostate Enlargement

The benign enlargement of the prostate (BPH = benign prostate hyperplasia) is a nuisance for many men as they get older: Frequent urge to urinate, bladder emptying disorders, weakened urinary stream and inflammation are possible symptoms.

An implant called iTind (“Temporary implantable nitinol device”) has been added to the range of minimally invasive therapy options for benign prostate enlargement and represents a gentle addition to the established treatment methods. The pioneer in Austria is Priv.-Doz. Dr. Markus Margreiter from the Confraternität Private Hospital, who was the first to apply the new therapy method with his team at the Prostate Center and has now successfully treated a series of patients with it.

The implant, a folded wire basket, is inserted into the prostatic urethra during a cystoscopy under brief sedation and stay there for five to seven days. There it slowly unfolds and reshapes the urinary outlet through continuous, gentle pressure. The basket is then removed and leaves a wider channel through which urine can flow, i.e. the urine can be emptied from the bladder more easily, and the symptoms improve. Studies conducted to date show that improvement in symptoms and urinary can also be observed three years after the procedure.

"With this gentle, minimally invasive method as a new therapy option, we can offer every patient a tailor-made treatment for an enlarged prostate," says Dr. Markus Margreiter. The expert in urology and men's health is confident that iTind will establish itself as a successful therapy for suitable patients: "The patients treated at the Confraternität Private Hospital were of different ages and the procedures were completely uncomplicated. The successfully treated patients showed good results in the follow-up examinations and are happy about the improvement in their symptoms.”