Ed Lucia, 74, had lived with an enlarged prostate gland for years, but when increased urination, poor urinary flow, and the urgent need to urinate started happening, he began to think about his options.
“I met with my urologist for my annual checkup and we discussed the possibility of doing a surgical procedure, which I was not too excited about,” Lucia recalls.
As men age, the prostate often enlarges, which makes benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), a noncancerous condition, extremely common among this age group. Symptoms can include a weak urination stream, an inability to urinate, frequent urination, leaking, and rushing to the bathroom, all of which can disrupt one’s daily routine.
“My wife and I often travel up to Bangor, Maine, from our home in New Hampshire, and we never drove by a visitors’ area without stopping,” Lucia explains. “Getting sudden urgencies and not being able to quickly find a restroom creates a big problem.”
