Rezum and UroLift for an enlarged prostate

What are Rezum and UroLift?

Rezum and UroLift are two minimally invasive treatments for an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic enlargement) that is squeezing the water pipe (urethra) and causing urinary symptoms such as a weak flow, going often, and getting up at night.

Rezum uses tiny amounts of steam (water vapour) injected into the prostate. The steam destroys some of the overgrown tissue, which the body then absorbs over the following weeks, easing the squeeze on the urethra. UroLift works differently: small permanent implants are placed to pull the enlarged tissue aside and hold the channel open, without cutting or removing tissue.

The main reason men choose these over the standard operation (TURP) is to try to protect sexual function. Both are designed to preserve erections and to avoid the 'dry' orgasm (retrograde ejaculation) that TURP commonly causes. They are generally gentler, with quicker recovery.

The trade-off is that they may not relieve symptoms as completely as TURP, and some men need a further procedure later. They also treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate — they are not a treatment for prostate cancer, and they do not remove the need for ongoing prostate health checks.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Comparing the main options

TURP usually gives the most complete symptom relief but more often affects ejaculation. Rezum and UroLift aim to protect sexual function, with a higher chance of needing further treatment later.

Preparing for your procedure

• Have your symptoms assessed, usually including a symptom score (IPSS), a flow test and a check of how well your bladder empties.
• Make sure prostate cancer has been considered and, where appropriate, ruled out before treating the enlargement.
• Ask your urologist to confirm your prostate size and shape are suitable for the chosen treatment.
• Tell the team about blood-thinning medicines and any other medical conditions.
• Discuss what to expect for ejaculation and erections, and how each option compares with TURP.
• Arrange a lift home if you are having sedation, and plan a few days of lighter activity.
• Expect that you might go home with a catheter for a short time, especially after Rezum.

What happens

Both procedures are usually done as a day case, often under local anaesthetic with or without sedation. A thin telescope (cystoscope) is passed along the urethra so the urologist can see and treat the prostate.

For Rezum, short bursts of steam are delivered into the prostate at several points. For UroLift, small implants are placed to hold the prostate tissue open. Each typically takes well under an hour.

Afterwards you may have some burning when passing urine, a need to go urgently or often, and blood in the urine for a short time. A catheter is sometimes needed for a few days, more commonly after Rezum, because the prostate can swell before it settles. Most men go home the same day.

Is this procedure right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Comfort, sedation or contrast choices

If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.

The main uncertainty is how complete and how lasting the relief will be: these treatments are gentler than TURP but a minority of men need further treatment within a few years. The benefit also depends on your prostate's size and shape. Ask your urologist whether your prostate is suitable, how this compares with TURP for you, and what their plan is if symptoms return.

Published figures to discuss

These are generally low-risk procedures, but how much they help and how long the benefit lasts varies by prostate size and shape and between men. The retreatment figures below come from trial follow-up and reviews and are a guide, not a personal prediction.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

Recovery is usually quicker than after the standard prostate operation. UroLift often improves the flow within days, while Rezum works more gradually as the treated tissue is reabsorbed over several weeks.

• Burning or stinging when passing urine for several days
• Going more often or urgently before things settle
• Pink or bloody urine, and blood in the semen, for a short time
• A short period with a catheter, especially after Rezum
• Gradual rather than instant improvement after Rezum

Aftercare

• Drink plenty of fluids to help flush the bladder, unless told otherwise.
• Look after your catheter as shown if you go home with one, and know when it will be removed.
• Take any prescribed antibiotics or medicines as directed.
• Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity for the first week or so.
• Expect symptoms to settle gradually, especially after Rezum.
• Keep your follow-up appointment to check your symptoms and flow.
• Continue any prostate cancer monitoring (such as PSA) that you were already having.

• Catheter supplies and removal date, if sent home with one
• Any prescribed antibiotics collected
• A few days of lighter activity planned
• Lift home arranged if you had sedation
• Realistic expectation that Rezum works gradually
• Follow-up appointment booked
• Clinic contact number saved for problems

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Being unable to pass urine at all — seek urgent help
• Fever, shivering or feeling very unwell (possible infection)
• Heavy bleeding or large clots in the urine
• Severe or worsening pain in the lower tummy or when passing urine
• A catheter that stops draining or falls out
• Smelly, cloudy urine with burning that does not settle

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result means easier, stronger urine flow, going less often and getting up less at night, with sexual function preserved. UroLift relief is often noticed within days; Rezum builds up over weeks to a few months.

These treatments improve symptoms but do not change the fact that you have prostate tissue, and they are not a treatment for prostate cancer. You should continue any prostate checks you were already having, and tell your doctor if symptoms return.

Both treatments can give lasting relief, but they are generally less durable than TURP. With UroLift, follow-up of the original trial population reported that roughly 1 in 7–8 men had further surgical treatment by about five years. Rezum has shown durable results to around five years in studies, but some men still need further treatment. Your urologist should be honest about the chance of needing another procedure.

Related tests, treatments or support

These procedures are sometimes considered alongside, or instead of, daily medicines for an enlarged prostate. If they do not give enough relief, TURP or another operation remains an option later.

Follow-up & long-term care

You will usually be reviewed a few weeks to months after the procedure to check your symptoms, flow and how well your bladder empties. Any catheter is removed within a few days, often at a separate appointment. Tell your clinician if symptoms return or worsen over time.

• Review of urinary symptoms and flow after the procedure
• Continued prostate cancer monitoring (such as PSA) if you were already having it
• A plan for further treatment if symptoms return over the years

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• These treatments are less durable than TURP, and a minority of men need a further procedure within a few years.
• UroLift implants can occasionally need removing or repositioning.
• If relief is incomplete or symptoms return, TURP or laser surgery remains an option.
• Symptoms can drift back over time as the prostate continues to grow.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• A named contact for problems such as not passing urine or signs of infection.
• Clear arrangements for catheter removal if one is used.
• Follow-up to check symptoms, flow and bladder emptying.
• Honest review and a plan if symptoms return over time.
• Continued prostate cancer monitoring where appropriate.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• The urologist's fee and the type of procedure (Rezum or UroLift)
• The number of UroLift implants or Rezum steam treatments needed, which depends on prostate size
• Anaesthetic or sedation, and theatre/facility time
• Whether you need a catheter and district nurse support at home
• Pre-treatment assessment such as flow tests and scans
• Follow-up appointments and the chance of needing a further procedure later

• The urologist's fee and which procedure is included
• The cost of implants (UroLift) or the full Rezum treatment
• Sedation or anaesthetic fee and facility charges
• Pre-treatment tests (flow rate, bladder scan) and follow-up visits
• Catheter supplies and any nursing support at home
• Cancellation policy
• What happens — and who pays — if symptoms return or you need TURP later

On the NHS? Both Rezum and UroLift are recommended by NICE and available on the NHS for suitable men; private care may be used for speed or choice of provider.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.

• Is my prostate the right size and shape for Rezum or UroLift?
• How does this compare with TURP for someone like me, for both symptom relief and ejaculation?
• How likely am I to need a catheter, and for how long?
• How likely am I to need a further procedure in the next few years?
• How soon should I expect to feel better, and when will you review me?
• Has prostate cancer been considered, and do I still need PSA monitoring?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the specialist who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified specialist for rezum and urolift for an enlarged prostate

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How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NICE MTG49 — Rezum for benign prostatic hyperplasia NICE MTG58 — UroLift for benign prostatic hyperplasia NHS — Benign prostate enlargement treatment Prostatic urethral lift (UroLift) — StatPearls/NCBI LIFT study 5-year results (UroLift retreatment) — PMC Recent advances in UroLift: a comprehensive overview — PMC NICE technology guidance — Rezum for lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to BPH Real-world Rezum outcomes and urinary retention — Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.