Prostate Disease
Urinary problems are common in elderly patients and the culprit most of the times is the prostate. Even a small gland may cause problems in the elderly as the cause of prostatic obstruction is multifactorial and does not only depend on the size of the prostate.
When you visit the Urologist, He/ She will investigate and determine the cause to be prostate by various investigations and if found to be consistent with Prostatic obstruction commonly called as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) will prescribe you the required medicines. In certain conditions surgery would be required. The two most commonly used procedures are TURP and HoLEP.
HoLEP or LASER PROSTATECTOMY
HoLEP stands for holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, which is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged and can cause urinary symptoms such as difficulty urinating, frequent urination, and weak urine flow.
During HoLEP, a surgeon uses a holmium laser to remove the excess prostate tissue that is causing the urinary obstruction. The laser is inserted into the prostate through a device (resectoscope) inserted through the patient’s urethra and used to precisely remove the tissue. There is no cut or incision made in this procedure. The removed tissue is then sent to a pathology laboratory to ensure that it is benign.
HoLEP is a safe and effective treatment for BPH, with high success rates and low complication rates. Because it is a minimally invasive procedure, it typically results in less pain, scarring, and blood loss than traditional open surgery for BPH. Patients may experience some discomfort and urinary symptoms for a short period after the procedure, but these usually improve within a few weeks.
Our centre is the pioneer of HoLEP or Laser prostatectomy in the KUMAUN region of Uttarakhand. The first HoLEP of the region was performed in 2020 by Dr Siddharth Pandey.
TURP
TURP stands for transurethral resection of the prostate, which is a surgical procedure used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged and can cause urinary symptoms such as difficulty urinating, frequent urination, and weak urine flow.
During TURP, a surgeon uses a special instrument called a resectoscope to remove the excess prostate tissue that is causing the urinary obstruction. The resectoscope is inserted into the patient’s urethra and advanced to the prostate gland, where a wire loop is used to remove the tissue. The removed tissue is then sent to a pathology laboratory to ensure that it is benign. TURP is done either monopolar or Bipolar (PLASMA-KINETIC). We at our centre have the latest PLASMA-KINETIC machine for TURP which is considered safer than the monopolar technology. Because of lesser bleeding and safer times in surgery more prostatic tissues are removed which usually result in a better outcome than traditional monopolar TURP.
Plasma kinetic -TURP is a safe and effective treatment for BPH, with high success rates and low complication rates. However, because it is an invasive surgical procedure, it carries some risks, such as bleeding and infection. Recovery time can also vary, but most patients experience an improvement in urinary symptoms within a few weeks after the procedure.
