INDIA: Laser Technique gives New Life to Three 'Enlarged Prostate' Patients

BANGALORE, India (Press Release), August 11, 2008: RG Stone Urology Centre, a speciality hospital for Urology & Laparoscopy, today announced the success of surgical operations on three elderly males who were suffering from 'Prostate Enlargement' or 'Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia' (BPH). All three patients had prostates weighing more than 100 gms and were not appropriate candidates for the older conventional technique of 'Transurethral Resection of the Prostate' (TURP). TURP is not recommended for elderly patients or patients using cardiac pacemakers or anticoagulant medicines etc. The patients were successfully operated upon using the advanced 'Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate' (HOLEP) Technique at the RG Stone Urology Centre located at Suguna Hospital in Rajajinagar, Bangalore. The HOLEP Technique uses the 100-Watt Holmium Laser by which even the 140 gms prostate was successfully operated. Also HOLEP Technique can be used on even those BPH patients who are using cardiac pacemakers, or those who are denied surgery due to complications expected from open surgery. This is because HOLEP Technique can operate upon prostate irrespective of the size of prostate; it is not an open surgery; it requires short hospital stay, is safer, and offers faster recovery as compared to the conventional technique TURP. Dr. Anand M., Chief Urologist, RG Stone Urology Centre, gave details. The first patient, Dr. Venkatesh Patil, an Ayurvedic Practitioner aged 58, was diagnosed with BPH at RG Stone. His prostate weighed about 100 gms, and his being a cardiac patient further complicated the problem. He was operated upon using the HOLEP Technique considering all his co-existing problems. HOLEP achieved complete enucleation in a single sitting. The second patient, Mr. Vishwamitra Cibal, a bank employee aged 57, too was diagnosed with BPH. He is a physically challenged person, suffering from polio in both legs. Diabetes and Hypertension complicated his case even more. He was found to have a prostate weighing 140 gms. Considering his multiple problems, he too was operated upon using the HOLEP Technique. Here too, HOLEP achieved complete enucleation in a single sitting. The third patient, Dr. Murali Saletore, a retired scientist from Boeing Aircraft Division-Seattle, USA, too was diagnosed with BPH, with a prostate weighing 110 gms. He too, successfully underwent HOLEP surgery, achieving complete enucleation in a single sitting. All three patients had an uneventful and quick recovery. "Laser application in urology has revolutionized treatment of prostate and stone disease. Most patients have large prostates with significant co-morbid illnesses and several of them are on anti-coagulants which pose significant risk to the conventional procedure of TURP. With HOLEP advantages, they can have complete enucleation in single sitting regardless of prostate size. None of our patients has required blood transfusion. HOLEP is also a viable option for patients with cardiac pacemakers as HOLEP does not use electrocautery which interferes with pacemakers. Even during the follow-ups patients have not had any problems with sequlae like strictures or bladder-neck scarring which are seen more often following TURP," Dr. Anand said. Dr. Manish Bansal, Mg Director- RG Scientific Enterprises Ltd, announced a host of benefits for senior citizens to mark India's Independence Day: a 50% discount on OPD consultations, 10% discount on procedures, free medical camps at Bangalore for patients with urological disorders like Kidney Stone, Enlarged Prostate, Kidney/Prostate Cancer, Female Urinary Incontinence etc. "Tests like Ultrasound, Blood, Urine, Uroflowmetry, PSA, worth Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 2,500, will be done free at the camps." The RG Stone Urology & Laparoscopy Hospital, first established in 1987 in Mumbai, now has centers in Delhi, Kolkata, Rajkot, Goa, Mohali, Jaipur, Agra, Chennai, Ludhiana, Moradabad and Bangalore. These hospitals have US FDA approved, state-of-the-art equipment and several medical specialists. RG Stone holds the Guinness Record for treating a 13 cm kidney stone. It is the first institute in India to treat a kidney stone patient with permanent cardiac pacemaker. It is also the first institute to perform Laparoscopy assisted PCNL for a Pelvic Kidney Staghorn. RG Stone has treated 40,000 all over India and 6,500 patients from abroad, patients as young as 9 months of age and as old as 107 years. Source: Press Release from QuikRelations