NHS Fife has become the first the Health Board in Scotland to begin using an innovative new procedure called Rezum in the treatment of patients with an enlarged prostate.

Treatment for enlarged prostate routinely involves medication; however, this is not always effective and in some cases can result in side-effects. Traditional surgical options are also available which can remove part of the prostate to improve urine flow out of the bladder, although these interventions are invasive, require a stay in hospital and can affect sexual function.

A pioneering new treatment called Rezum was approved earlier this year by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which sees small jets of steam injected into the prostate to destroy excess tissue and causes the prostate to shrink over a period of weeks.

Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline has become the first site in Scotland to offer this pioneering new Rezum treatment. The procedure takes around 10-20 minutes to complete and because it is less invasive, patients can be treated as day-cases and can return home the very same day.