How Your Surgeon Plans Aquablation With Live Ultrasound
By Dr. Ahmed Ali Alnaimi, Consultant Urological Surgeon
Most prostate operations rely on the surgeon's hand and eye at every moment. Aquablation adds a step that changes how the whole procedure works: the treatment is planned first, on a live image of your prostate, and only then carried out.
Seeing the prostate from two angles
Once you are asleep or numb from the waist down, two views are set up. A thin telescope (cystoscope) passed through the urethra shows the inside of the prostate and bladder directly. At the same time, an ultrasound probe placed in the back passage gives a cross-section image of the whole gland, including the parts the camera cannot see.
Drawing the treatment area
On the ultrasound screen, the surgeon outlines exactly how much tissue should be removed, section by section along the length of the prostate. The map is tailored to your anatomy: the size of the gland, the shape of each lobe and the position of a middle (median) lobe if you have one.
Just as important is what the map leaves out. Areas linked to ejaculation and to urinary control can be kept outside the treatment zone.
Why planning matters
- The plan is checked before anything is removed, rather than decided cut by cut
- Removal follows the plan with robotic consistency, whatever the size of the prostate
- Sensitive structures are protected by design rather than by feel alone
Carrying out the plan
When the surgeon is satisfied, the robotic system follows the map and removes the tissue with a high-velocity stream of saline. No heat is used to remove tissue. The surgeon watches throughout on the camera and ultrasound and remains in control.
What this means for you
The practical benefit is predictability: a treatment designed around your own prostate, with a strong focus on protecting continence and sexual function. Planning does not remove every risk, and controlling bleeding at the end of the procedure is still an important step, but it is a genuine change in how prostate surgery is done.
If you would like to know whether Aquablation could be planned for your prostate, Dr. Ahmed Ali Alnaimi can review your scans and symptoms at a consultation in Abu Dhabi or London.
Every prostate, and every patient, is different. A consultation gives you a clear picture of your own options.
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