CHAD Thompson grappled with a silent problem for 20 years – he couldn’t pee properly, and it was a constant source of anxiety.
The 44-year-old, from , never felt like he was emptying his bladder would be up at least eight times a night to go to to the loo, wrecking his .
Chad Thompson, 44, diagnosed with an enlarged prostate at the age of 28Credit: Chad Thompson
He struggled with symptoms for years – until a ‘champagne cork’ procedure finally eased themCredit: Chad Thompson
Having been diagnosed with an at the age of 28, the endless nights of broken sleep and trying different coping strategies gradually took over half Chad’s life.
He gave countless ‘cures’ a go, from not drinking too much water to medication and surgery, with no success – until he underwent a ‘champagne cork procedure’, also known as iTind.
Hailed as a ‘game-changer’ by experts, it takes less than five minutes and is available on the .
Chad tells Sun Health: “I finally had the feeling of finishing at the toilet and actually being done. It was such a simple thing I’d been missing.
“I was having real problems going to the toilet. My urine flow either wouldn’t start at all or would come on suddenly, meaning I was constantly up and down through the night.”
The impact on his sleep was severe.
“Sleep became a real issue for me,” says Chad.
“I was getting up multiple times a night to use the toilet, and then I’d be exhausted at work the next day.
“I started tracking my sleep obsessively on my smartwatch, and the data showed just how little deep sleep I was getting.”
An enlarged prostate is very common, especially in men over 50, and not usually serious.
But symptoms such as , feeling like you can’t fully empty your bladder and needing to pee often and urgently – especially at night – can become bothersome.
For Chad, these symptoms began to dictate his life.
He says: “It became an endless cycle. That level of exhaustion wasn’t sustainable, especially with a high-focus job.
“I reached the end of my tether and knew I needed something that actually addressed the problem.”
Chad was caught in an ‘endless cycle’ of sleeplessness and managing his symptomsCredit: Chad Thompson
Chad tried a number of different medications and surgeries over the yearsCredit: Chad Thompson
The iTind procedure gave Chad his best hope of a normal life.
It’s a minimally invasive treatment where a small wire cage is inserted into the prostate to relieve symptoms.
Called the champagne cork procedure due to the shape of the device, it’s taken out within days but has lasting effects.
For Chad, Director of Child Transformation Services at Council, he only wishes he’d had it sooner.
Out of options
THE first signs of his condition were subtle but persistent.
“I’ve lived with symptoms since I was 24, when going to the toilet stopped feeling straightforward,” Chad says.
“Every time I would go to the toilet, the flow would start.
“But then it would weaken like a waterfall running out, then stop, yet I’d still feel I hadn’t emptied my bladder.
“I’d stand there trying to calm myself and restart, but most of the time it just wouldn’t happen.
“At first, I wondered if it was stress. I’ve always had demanding roles, studied hard, played sports, and kept busy.
“But even on holiday, relaxed and away from work, the same thing was happening.”
What is an enlarged prostate?
The is a small gland found in the pelvis between the penis and the bladder.
It’s about the size of a walnut.
If it becomes enlarged, it can put pressure on the bladder and the urethra – the tube that urine passes through.
An enlarged prostate is very common in men over the age of about 50.
It can affect younger men too, although this is uncommon.
It is not cancerous and does not raise your risk of developing .
Not everyone with an enlarged prostate get symptoms.
But as the prostate grows, it can press on the outside of the urethra, causing the urethra to become narrow.
This can slow down or sometimes even stop the flow of urine when you try to urinate.
The main symptoms of an enlarged prostate are problems with peeing, such as:
- Difficulty starting to pee, or having to push or strain to pee
- A weak flow of pee, stopping and starting, and taking longer than usual to empty your bladder
- Feeling like you cannot fully empty your bladder
- Dribbling pee after you finish peeing
- Needing to pee more often or urgently, including getting up to pee during the night
The symptoms usually develop slowly, and may gradually get worse as you get older.
That’s when Chad knew he needed a proper .
He spoke to his mum and learned his dad had experienced similar symptoms, which pushed him to see his .
He says: “They ran urine tests to rule out infection, then referred me to a urologist for a flow-rate test and an ultrasound.
“I was asked to arrive with a full bladder, void into a measuring device, and then they checked if I’d emptied. I hadn’t.
“My flow rate was below average for my age, and there was residual urine left in my bladder shown on the scan.
“I was diagnosed with BPH when I was around 28.”
I tried medication to improve flow, but it felt like a sticking plaster over a larger wound – helpful for a short time but less effective the longer I took it
Chad Thompson
Also known simply as an enlarged prostate, BPH affects around half of men by the age 60, according to Cleveland Clinic.
By age 85, about 90 per cent will have signs of the condition.
When enlarged, the prostate presses on the urethra and can slow the flow of urine, causing symptoms like Chad’s; difficulty starting to pee, a weak flow or dribbling.
An enlarged prostate doesn’t always need treatment, but changing lifestyle habits can ease symptoms.
If these don’t help, doctors might offer medicines that help men pee, such as tamsulosin.
Chad says: “Over the years, I tried medication to improve flow, but it felt like a sticking plaster over a larger wound – helpful for a short time but less effective the longer I took it.
“Earlier on, I also had a bladder neck incision.
“This is a surgical procedure to improve urine flow by making cuts in the bladder neck, the area where the bladder connects to the urethra.”
Chad saw an immediate improvement to his flow after the iTind procedureCredit: Chad Thompson
Other surgeries include widening the urethra with a small implant, and removing or destroying part of the prostate using lasers.
Chad says this op “kind of helped”.
“But it wasn’t a lasting solution for me,” he adds.
“I kept asking my urologist about trials or new options because I didn’t want to live like this indefinitely.
“This is when I learnt about the iTind procedure.”
The one-day op involves placing a device into the part of the urethra that passes through the prostate.
It expands, which widens the urethra and bladder neck to improve urine flow.
After five days, the device is removed. Most patients start to feel improvement in their urinary symptoms immediately after this, which should continue to improve over the next few weeks.
‘No shame in asking for help’
CHAD’S device stayed in for a week before being removed.
He says: “I had some pain and a bit of bleeding, but I’d been prepared for that and was given antibiotics, steroids and painkillers which helped.
“When I returned to have the device removed, I remember thinking, ‘this might be the best thing I’ve ever done’.”
He recalls feeling “for the first time in years, genuinely hopeful”.
Chad saw improvements to his urine flow immediately – to his shock and delight.
He recalls: “Before I could be discharged, I had to empty my bladder.
“The flow shocked me, in a good way. I hadn’t experienced anything like that for years.
“Over the next week or two, as the tenderness settled, the sense of relief grew.”
The relatively new procedure is approved for the NHS, but is not yet available at all hospitals.
After two decades of coping strategies, broken sleep and constant anxiety about whether I’d be able to go, I can now get on with my life and my work with a clear head
Chad Thompson
And not all men will be eligible; those who have tried other options – but do not have very large prostates – are ideal candidates.
“Looking back, I wish iTind had been available to me when I was younger,” Chad says.
He has a message to other men.
“If you’re a man, at any age, experiencing similar symptoms, don’t put it down to pride or assume it only happens to older people,” he warns.
“There’s no shame in asking for help. Be in tune with your body, speak to your GP, and find out what options exist. You don’t have to manage this alone.
“I was first diagnosed at 28. I finally had the iTind procedure at 44.
“After two decades of coping strategies, broken sleep and constant anxiety about whether I’d be able to go, I can now get on with my life and my work with a clear head.
“For me, it’s been a success, and I’m sharing my story in case it helps someone else decide to seek the support they need.”
THE ‘GAME-CHANGER’ iTIND PROCEDURE: IN DETAIL
A treatment called iTind is a minimally invasive procedure which involves the temporary implantation of a nitinol device that reshapes the prostate tissue.
It expands the channel through which urine can flow.
The implantation procedure can be performed under light sedation or local anaesthetic.
The insertion itself usually takes the doctor less than five minutes and typically does not need catheterisation following implantation.
Men can typically go home the same day.
Removal of the iTind, around five to seven days later, is similarly a short procedure.
For suitable patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (‘BPH’), it could end their seeking for a treatment.
Plus, initial studies did not report any sexual or erectile dysfunction being caused by the procedure.
BPH is generally treated with the TURP procedure (trans urethral resection of the prostate) – a surgical procedure that involves the cutting away of prostate tissue.
It’s generally effective, but typically requires a one to three-day stay in hospital.
The risk of serious complications is very small, but complications from TURP include retrograde ejaculation, and a small risk of erectile dysfunction and/or difficulties passing urine and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Neil Barber, Clinical Lead for Urology at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust and Director of the Frimley Renal Cancer Centre and the Frimley Benign Prostate Clinical Research Centre, said iTind was a “game-changer” for men with BPH.
“Many men suffer in silence as they delay or avoid having treatment for their BPH because they are scared of losing sexual function, of losing ability to have an erection or becoming incontinent,” he explains.
“Initial studies of the new iTind procedure on suitable patients did not report any sexual dysfunction or incontinence, allowing these men to maintain their quality of life, and so it will particularly appeal to younger men in their 40s and 50s.”
iTind is (subject to availability and required training) available both on the NHS in individual NHS organisations and privately across the UK.
You find out where treatment is currently available here .
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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