What is Rezūm?
Rezūm is a minimally invasive procedure that uses small bursts of heated water vapour (steam) to treat BPE (benign prostatic enlargement)—an enlarged prostate that can cause urinary symptoms like weak stream, frequent urination, urgency, and waking up at night to urinate.
The steam is delivered through a thin instrument passed through the penis into the urethra (the urine channel). The steam treats the extra prostate tissue that is blocking urine flow. Over the next weeks, your body gradually reabsorbs the treated tissue, opening the channel.
Who Rezūm is for (typical candidates)?
Men with bothersome urinary symptoms from BPE who want an option less invasive than traditional surgery.
Often used when the prostate is 30–80 grams, and it may be offered to men who want to preserve erections and ejaculation.
Rezūm has also been studied in larger prostates (≥80 cc) with good short-term results, but long-term data in very large glands are still developing.
What benefits to expect (realistic results)?
Symptom improvement can start within weeks and is often noticeable by <3 months.
Durable symptom relief: benefits lasts through 5 years, with symptom score improvement of 48% and urine flow improvement of 44%, and a 4.4% surgical retreatment rate over 5 years.
Sexual function is usually preserved: In that 5-year randomized trial, there were no reports of procedure-related sexual dysfunction or sustained new erectile dysfunction.
What the procedure day is like (typical)
Usually done in a clinic, outpatient center, or hospital day-procedure setting.
Can be performed under local anesthetic (numbing medicine). In one clinic cohort (82 patients), average pain during the procedure was 3.5/10, and many patients reported high satisfaction.
The actual treatment is short; you go home the same day in most cases.
Catheter (urinary tube) after Rezūm
Many patients go home with a temporary catheter to help the bladder drain while the prostate is swollen from treatment.
In a real-world cohort (211 patients), catheter removal was successful in 92.4% after a median of 5 days.
Catheter time can vary widely by person and by technique. In one prospective comparison study, average catheter duration after Rezūm was 12.38 ± 5.548 days.
Your urology team will tell you how long they expect your catheter to stay in and what to do if it stops draining.
Common short-term side effects (usually temporary)
These are common and typically improve over days to a few weeks:
Burning with urination (dysuria): pooled rate 21% in a 2023 meta-analysis (1,015 patients).
Blood in urine (hematuria): pooled rate 14% in the same meta-analysis.
Temporary trouble urinating/urinary retention can happen, sometimes requiring (or prolonging) a catheter.
Less common but important risks
Urinary tract infection (UTI) (burning, foul-smelling urine, fever, worsening urgency).
Rarely, more serious complications can occur and may need a procedure or hospitalization. In a meta-analysis of men with large prostates (471 men), serious complications were <0.1% (short follow-up).
Recovery at home: what to do
Drink fluids steadily unless your clinician gave you a fluid restriction.
Expect urinary symptoms to be “up and down” at first. It is common to have more urgency/frequency early on while swelling settles.
Take medications exactly as prescribed (pain medicine, bladder spasm medicine, antibiotic if given).
Avoid heavy lifting/straining for the time your urologist recommends.
Call your urology team urgently or go to the A&E if you have:
- Fever or chills (possible infection)
- Catheter not draining, or you cannot urinate at all
- Severe worsening pain
- Heavy bleeding or large clots in urine
- Vomiting or inability to keep fluids down
Follow-up
You will usually have a follow-up visit to:
Remove the catheter
Check your urine flow and bladder emptying
Review symptom improvement and whether you still need BPE medications
This guide is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If symptoms worsen or you have new concerns, contact your doctor or seek emergency care.