TUNA and How It Is Used
Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) was approved for use in the U.S. in 1996. The procedure, which takes about three to five minutes, uses needles that are passed through the urethra to ablate, or destroy, prostate tissue.
TUNA is an outpatient procedure that does not require anesthesia and uses a special catheter, similar to a rigid cystoscope with fiber optics, to view the prostate and guide the placement of the needles. The catheter, which is inserted through the urethra into the prostate, is equipped with two adjustable needles that are guided into precise areas of the prostate where low-radio-frequency energy is delivered. This energy heats the tissue slowly to a temperature of about 80°F to 100°F, which causes the death of prostate tissue by destroying the blood supply of the tissue and making it into a homogenous mass (a process known as coagulation necrosis). The coagulation causes tissue to shrink and to be absorbed by the body over a period of about eight weeks following treatment.
When the procedure is completed, a catheter is inserted to aid in emptying the bladder and is usually left in place for two to three days. There is typically blood in the urine for one day or so, and symptoms may be worse for two to four days until swelling subsides. It takes two to three weeks to notice an improvement in symptoms and two to three months for maximum improvement.
