What is transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT)?

Transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT) is a procedure to treat symptoms of prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH]). The procedure uses high temperature to kill tissue inside the prostate.

An instrument called an antenna is inserted into the urethra and guided to a location inside the prostate. The antenna sends out microwave energy to heat the inside of the prostate. Cooling fluid circulates around the microwave antenna to protect the wall of the urethra from heat damage.

As the treated tissue of the prostate heals, it shrinks, reducing the blockage of urine flow.

This treatment is done in a single session. It usually does not require an overnight stay in the hospital. A general or regional (spinal) anesthetic is needed during the procedure.

This therapy is also known as cooled thermal therapy or by the name of the equipment that is used.

Transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) is used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate, and was approved in the U.S. in 1996. The procedure, which lasts about one hour, uses computer-regulated microwave energy to heat excess prostate tissue (to about 111F), which then atrophies and shrinks. The microwaves are delivered through an antenna that has been carefully placed in a catheter with a built-in cooling system to keep the urethra cool and to protect the rectum and the sphincter from the heat. The catheter is connected to a computer that adjusts the level of microwave energy delivered to the prostate based on rectal and urethral temperatures; this is necessary to prevent unwanted tissue damage.

The mechanism by which TUMT works is not completely clear. TUMT appears to work by damaging the sensory nerves that cause the smooth muscle in the prostate to constrict the urethra. This helps reduce urinary symptoms, including an urgent and frequent need to urinate, straining to urinate, and an intermittent flow.

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