Five high-risk patients treated with minimally invasive temporary stent technology
Bengaluru, September 17, 2026: Apollo Hospitals, Seshadripuram, Bengaluru, has reported the successful use of EXIME Temporary Prostatic Urethral Stent technology in five patients, offering a minimally invasive option for selected patients with urinary obstruction who cannot immediately undergo conventional prostate surgery.
The procedures were performed by Dr. T. Manohar and his team at the Apollo Prostate Institute. The temporary stent is designed to keep the prostatic urinary passage open, enabling patients to urinate while they await definitive treatment or when surgery may not be suitable because of serious medical conditions.
The stent can remain in place for up to one year, potentially providing doctors with time to stabilise a patient’s health, manage other medical conditions and plan definitive treatment.
Five medically complex patients treated
The patients treated included:
A 73-year-old high-risk cardiac patient with recurrent urinary retention, repeated urinary infections and a history of severe urosepsis. He required uninterrupted blood-thinning medication and had recently recovered from cardiac arrest.
A 70-year-old patient with recurrent metastatic urothelial cancer, who was undergoing palliative treatment and was considered unsuitable for definitive prostate surgery.
Two patients, aged 66 and 83, who developed severe urinary symptoms, retention and obstructive uropathy following PTCA. Their prostate procedures had to be deferred while they continued dual antiplatelet therapy for at least three months.
A 90-year-old patient with multiple medical conditions and bladder dysfunction, who had been dependent on a long-term urinary catheter and was considered for temporary stenting as a possible catheter-sparing option.
Catheter-free after the procedure
According to Apollo Hospitals, all five patients were able to pass urine following the procedure.
The intervention was carried out under local anaesthesia with mild sedation and took approximately 10 minutes on average. The patients were able to urinate immediately after the procedure, with no post-void residual urine reported. The procedures were performed as day-care interventions, with no complications reported during the three-week follow-up period.
Not a replacement for conventional prostate surgery
Doctors stressed that the temporary stent is not intended to replace definitive procedures such as HoLEP or TURP in patients who are medically fit to undergo surgery.
Instead, it may have a role in carefully selected patients for whom surgery needs to be postponed or may carry significant risks. These could include patients with serious cardiac conditions, those taking blood-thinning medicines, patients undergoing cancer treatment and elderly individuals with multiple comorbidities.
“For these patients, the challenge is to relieve urinary obstruction without adding significant risk when they are already medically vulnerable. A temporary stent can provide a window for the patient to pass urine while we address the underlying medical issues or plan definitive treatment,” said Dr. T. Manohar, Innovator and Clinical Director, Apollo Prostate Institute,
Renal Sciences & Kidney Transplantation, Apollo Hospitals, Seshadripuram, Bengaluru.
Dr. Manohar added that the technology could be considered a “Least Invasive Surgical Treatment” (LIST) option for carefully selected BPH patients, particularly where medications cause significant side effects and conventional surgery needs to be delayed or is not appropriate.
Focus on personalised treatment
Uday Davda, Vice President, Apollo Hospitals, Seshadripuram, said the technology could expand treatment options for patients whose medical conditions make immediate surgery unsuitable.
“Introducing EXIME reflects Apollo Hospitals’ commitment to clinical innovation that addresses gaps in patient care. Our focus remains on careful patient selection, informed decision-making and follow-up to evaluate outcomes,” he said.
Apollo Hospitals said its team is also exploring possible Indian modifications to temporary prostatic stent technology, including size-adjustable designs that could allow greater customisation according to individual patient requirements.
The five procedures mark an early step in evaluating temporary stenting as a minimally invasive option for medically complex BPH patients, particularly those who might otherwise face repeated urinary retention or prolonged catheter dependence while waiting for definitive treatment.
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