30 September 2009
The South West’s largest private hospital is pioneering the use of a new non-invasive treatment for enlarged male prostate glands.
Until recently, most men suffering from an enlarged prostate had to undergo an invasive procedure known as TURP - transurethral resection of the prostate.
But now urologists at Spire Bristol Hospital are treating the condition, which affects up to 40 per cent of British men aged over 65, with a new minimally invasive technique called Green Light Laser therapy.
The procedure uses energy pulses from a high-powered laser to open up the enlarged prostate, which blocks the patient’s bladder, by destroying surplus tissue and without any of the side effects of TURP, resulting in no bleeding and less stress on the cardiovascular system.
Like traditional TURP treatment, this generally takes between 60 and 90 minutes but, according to Raj Persad, a consultant at Spire Bristol Hospital, it has several other advantages.
“Patients who undergo Green Light Laser therapy can typically be treated within the same day or else have a single overnight stay in hospital,” said Mr Persad, who has already treated several patients at Spire Hospital Bristol using the procedure.
“The surgery is performed under general anaesthetic and uses a thin laser fibre which is positioned in a laserscope and passed up through the patient’s urethra.
“Thereafter he can usually revert to most kinds of non-strenuous activities such as driving within a matter of days, and what is more, he will be catheter-free within 24 hours.
“The problem of benign prostate enlargement causes pain and discomfort to huge numbers of middle-aged and older men, particularly in urinating, and also to their partners in terms of disrupted sleep. Therefore we are delighted to be able to make this pioneering therapy available in the South West.”