For the first time in 10 years, Jim Grogan slept through the night. And, exactly for this reason, he is grateful to Dr. Emanuel Gottenger, a urologist with Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Urology Group of Florida. The physician used a newer urologic procedure called Aquablation to treat Grogan’s benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Dr. Gottenger is one of only a few urologists in the region to offer it.
Grogan, a 66-year-old Boca Raton resident, was diagnosed with BPH more than 10 years ago. Over that period, he became more and more sleep deprived, struggling through his workdays. “I was up every two hours to use the bathroom,” he said. “I was so sleep deprived that I could barely function during the day.” Grogan works a stressful job, managing multimillion-dollar real estate transactions for a title insurance company. “I need to be sharp and on my game!” When he booked flights to visit family in Boston, he selected a seat closest to the restroom. Driving long distances was challenging because he would need frequent stops to relieve himself.
According to the Yale School of Medicine, about 50% of men between the ages of 51 and 60 have BPH. The number jumps to 70% among men aged 60 to 69, and to around 80% of men over the age of 70.
If left untreated, BPH can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence. In addition, BPH can have negative effects on men’s everyday lives, impacting quality of sleep, limiting social activities and causing relationship challenges.
Grogan’s regular urologist could offer only transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) as a possible relief option. Although TURP is considered the gold standard for treating enlarged prostates, it can come with severe side effects, including erectile dysfunction, retrograde ejaculation and painful urination.
Encouraged to research alternative treatments, Grogan discovered Aquablation, a minimally invasive procedure that uses real-time ultrasound imaging, a robotic arm for precision and the Aquabeam (water jet) to precisely remove prostate tissue.
While searching for a provider, he learned that Dr. Gottenger offered Aquablation, and that his office was conveniently located nearby in Delray Beach. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Dr. Gottenger is board certified by the American Board of Urology. While at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach, he started its laparoscopic program, performing some of the first prostatectomies in Palm Beach County.
Following meetings and consultations with Dr. Gottenger, Grogan decided to move forward with the procedure. But they ran into a stumbling block. During a preoperative test, Dr. Gottenger discovered that Grogan had bladder stones caused by an infection. The stones would need to be removed prior to the procedure. After a 10-day recovery from that surgery, the Aquablation procedure was performed.
Although minimally invasive, Aquablation surgery does require an overnight hospital stay, and patients go home with a catheter to aid in urination while their urethra heals.
Grogan is thrilled with the results. “I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. and woke up at 6 a.m. It was the first time I slept through the night in 10 years!”
TGH Urology Group of Florida, which has been delivering high-quality urologic care to Palm Beach County since 2011, recently joined Tampa General as part of the academic health system’s initiative to serve more patients across the state.
Since 2020, Tampa General has been creating a framework of state-of-the-art services for patients in Palm Beach and Martin counties with the expertise and innovation of a preeminent academic health system. Tampa General is also the primary teaching affiliate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, and is one of the largest hospitals in the nation.
For more information about TGH Urology Group of Florida, as well as other Tampa General practices treating patients in Palm Beach and Martin counties, please call (561) 739-4TGH (4844).
