BPH ablation method and apparatus

A method for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a human male body having a bladder with a base with a urethra formed by a urethral wall extending into the base of the bladder and an enlarged prostate having tissue surrounding the urethral wall by the use of an elongate probe member having proximal and distal extremities, the elongate probe member being sized so that it can be introduced into the urethra and having a length so that when the distal extremity is disposed in the vicinity of the prostate the proximal extremity is outside of the body, the elongate probe member having a passage extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, at least one stylet disposed in the passage extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity of the elongate probe member, handle means coupled to the proximal extremity of the elongate probe member for introducing the distal extremity of the elongate probe member into the urethra, means carried by the handle means and secured to the stylet for advancing the distal extremity of the stylet through the urethral wall and into the tissue of the prostate, the stylet including a radio frequency conductive electrode with a sharpened tip for permitting advancement of the radio frequency conductive electrode through the urethral wall into the tissue of the prostate, a radio frequency power supply for delivering radio frequency energy to the radio frequency electrode, the radio frequency power supply including means for terminating the application of radio frequency power to the radio frequency electrode comprising the steps of delivering radio frequency energy from the radio frequency power supply to the radio frequency electrode and into the tissue of the prostate to cause ablation of a volume of tissue in the prostate so as to reduce the enlargement of the prostate and terminating the delivery of radio frequency energy to the prostate when an appropriate volume of tissue has been ablated in the prostate by the use of a parameter selected from time, temperature and impedance.