The prostate gland is a walnut sized organ located just below the urinary bladder, in the passage of exit of urine. It secretes the fluids that support the sperms in semen.
It is not unusual as men age for problems to develop in the prostate and although probably the most well-known is cancer, there are other non-malignant conditions that can affect the gland. A complex and delicate balance of hormones control this gland and sometimes with age result in an enlargement of the Prostate.
An enlarged prostate may not always require treatment, but it is likely that if a man’s elder brother or father has had treatment then he will also. One of the first signs of enlargement of prostate is waking up from sleep to pass the urine at night, although there can be other causes of increased urinary frequency at night like diabetes.
Enlargement of the Prostate can result in the restriction of the flow of urine and symptoms can include increased frequency of urination, hesitancy in passing urine, a sense of incomplete evacuation of urinary bladder, urgency to pass urine and occasionally loss of control over urination.
All these can cause considerable distress and discomfort and in the most severe cases can cause backpressure on to the kidneys leading to their failure.
Changes to the prostate should not be ignored and a doctor should be consulted. Leaving a condition untreated out of fear or worry is not wise and it may be that a visit to the doctor will bring peace of mind with the knowledge that the worst fears will not be realised.
Your family GP should refer you to an expert urologist, who will be able to establish whether the enlargement is cancerous or benign using techniques such as clinical examination along with simple investigations like ultrasonography, which will provide information about the size of the prostate and its pattern of growth.
Uroflowmetry is another investigation employed to assess the obstruction caused by enlarged prostate. During this test, a person is asked to hold urine till the bladder is full when he is required to pass urine in a computerized container which generates a graph indicating flow rate of the urine. The results will help the consultant decide on the correct course of treatment.
If benign enlargement of Prostate (BPH) is diagnosed at an early stage, medical treatment can be effective for relieving the symptoms and retarding its further growth but if the diagnosis comes at a later stage surgical treatment is generally required.
The latest treatment is called HoLEP (Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate). For the last half a decade Holmium laser has established its role in the treatment of enlarged prostate gland.
Holmium laser fibre is passed through a telescope into the natural urinary passage. Laser energy delivered through this fibre is used to cut large chunks of prostate gland in a blood less manner. These chunks of prostate tissue are then further fragmented into smaller bits by using a ‘morcellator’, which can then be easily recovered through the urinary passage itself.
Holmium laser fibre is passed through a telescope into the natural urinary passage. Laser energy delivered through this fibre is used to cut large chunks of prostate gland in a blood less manner. These chunks of prostate tissue are then further fragmented into smaller bits by using a ‘morcellator’, which can then be easily recovered through the urinary passage itself.
The procedure involves an overnight stay in hospital and is carried out with spinal anaesthesia. Usually, a catheter is inserted then removed the following day. Once the patient has been able to discharge a full bladder of urine, they can be discharged, usually on the day after the procedure has been carried out.
