Transurethral needle ablation of the prostate

Overview
Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) is a globally approved technique which can be done with a local anesthetic on an outpatient basis, and uses low energy radio frequency energy delivered through two needles to ablate (destroy) excess prostate tissue. A catheter that deploys the needles toward the obstructing prostate tissue is inserted into the urethra directly through the penis under local anaesthitic before the procedure begins. Some clinical studies have reported that TUNA improves the urine flow with minimal side effects when compared with other procedures.

History
The TUNA system was pioneered by serial entrepreneur Stu Edwards of California, USA.