An enlarged prostate,
treated with steam
Rezūm uses the stored energy in a few drops of water, released as vapor, to shrink the excess prostate tissue pressing on the urethra. A brief in-office treatment, no implants left behind, with relief that builds over the following months.
Medically reviewed by Hari Sawkar, MD, board-certified urologist · Updated August 2026
How Rezūm works
Rezūm harnesses the thermal energy stored in a few drops of water. Released as vapor directly into the prostate, that energy treats the excess tissue squeezing the urethra. The treatment itself takes only minutes and is done right in the office.
There are no implants and nothing permanent is left behind. Over the weeks that follow, your body naturally reabsorbs the treated tissue, the prostate shrinks, and urinary symptoms improve steadily over three to six months, with durable relief shown at five years.
Evaluation
We review your symptoms and prostate anatomy to confirm Rezūm is a good fit for you.
Preparation
Local anesthesia and light sedation are given. The treatment is done in the office or a procedure suite.
Steam delivery
A small device releases brief, 9-second bursts of water vapor into the obstructing tissue.
Natural healing
Your body reabsorbs the treated tissue, the prostate shrinks, and symptoms ease over three to six months.
Why men choose Rezūm
One short office visit
Typically completed in under 30 minutes, with no hospital stay. Most men go home the same day.
Nothing left behind
There are no implants. Your body simply reabsorbs the treated tissue over the weeks and months that follow.
Durable 5-year results
Clinical data shows sustained relief at five years, with most men needing no further treatment.
Works for larger prostates
Effective across a wide range of sizes, including men with a prominent median lobe.
Is Rezūm right for you
Rezūm rewards a particular kind of patient: one who will trade a few weeks of patience for a fix with nothing left behind. A quick prostate measurement confirms the anatomy fits.
Small to moderate glands
Roughly 30 to 80 cc is the studied range, and a prominent median lobe, which disqualifies some options, is handled well here.
You want nothing implanted
No devices stay behind. The body reabsorbs the treated tissue, which appeals to men uneasy about permanent hardware.
You can wait for the payoff
Improvement builds over three to six months rather than overnight. Men who want relief this week usually look at UroLift instead.
You want off the daily pills
Most men taper off BPH medication once the shrinkage takes hold, trading management for a durable fix.
Rezūm is not for every anatomy. Very large glands point toward PAE or Aquablation, and men who need immediate relief may fit UroLift better. Dr. Sawkar offers all four, so whichever page brought you in, the consultation starts from the full menu and your measured anatomy.
What the evidence shows
Rezūm's randomized trial followed men for five full years, and the results explain why this small office procedure earned a permanent place in BPH care.
Lasting symptom relief
Symptom scores improved by roughly half and held there through five years of follow-up, with flow measurably better as the prostate shrank.
Function preserved
Erections were unaffected in the trial, and ejaculation was preserved for the large majority of men, a meaningful edge over traditional surgery.
Rarely needs a redo
Roughly one in twenty men required surgical retreatment by year five, among the lowest rates of any minimally invasive BPH option.
Recovery, in plain terms
Plan on a soft catheter for several days while the treated tissue swells and then settles; most men describe this as the least pleasant part, and it is temporary. Expect urgency, frequency, and some burning for two to four weeks, managed with simple medication. Desk work resumes within a few days. Then the trade pays off: the prostate shrinks month by month, symptoms ease from around week two onward, and the full result arrives by three to six months, no implants, no incision, nothing to maintain.
Common questions about Rezūm
How long until Rezum works
Most men notice improvement beginning around two to four weeks as swelling settles, with steady gains after that. The full effect arrives by three to six months, once the body has reabsorbed the treated tissue.
Will I need a catheter
Yes, briefly. A soft catheter typically stays in for three to seven days while the treated tissue swells and then settles. It comes out in a quick office visit.
Does Rezum affect ejaculation or erections
Erections were unaffected in the five-year trial, and ejaculation was preserved for the large majority of men. If preserving ejaculation is your single highest priority, UroLift and PAE carry the strongest track records, and the consultation compares all three honestly.
Is one treatment enough
Usually, yes. In five-year data roughly one in twenty men needed surgical retreatment. If the prostate keeps growing years later, every other option, from PAE to Aquablation, remains fully available.
How is Rezum different from UroLift
Both are office procedures for small to moderate glands. Rezūm shrinks tissue with water vapor over a few months and involves a short-term catheter; UroLift holds tissue open with implants and works immediately, usually with no catheter. Median lobes favor Rezūm; impatience favors UroLift.
See if Rezūm is right for you
Same-day and next-day appointments. Rezūm is typically covered by Medicare and most commercial plans, with telehealth consultations available. For the fastest response, send the office a secure message; the reply comes back by text.
Chief of Urology, Providence St. Joseph Hospital · UroLift Center of Excellence · Orange County's highest-volume Aquablation surgeon