AAs men age, prostate gland enlargement can cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms – with half of men aged over 60 having some symptoms.
Urologist Dr Sam Chopra from Caboolture Private Hospital said men often report symptoms like a weak urinary stream, difficulty starting to urinate, a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying, getting up frequently at night to use the bathroom, continued dribbling of urine, frequent urination and straining to urinate.
As the prostate enlarges, it puts pressure on the urethra and the base of the bladder
Depending on severity, the condition of prostate gland enlargement – known as BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia – may require no treatment, or treatment by medicines or surgery.
A minimally invasive treatment known as green light laser surgery is available locally at Caboolture Private Hospital, performed by accredited urological surgeons Dr Chopra and Dr Joseph Schoeman.
Dr Chopra says the green light laser surgery uses state of the art, high power laser energy which is specifically absorbed by the blood inside prostate tissue.
This energy absorption leads to vaporisation of the targeted tissue and opens up the once constricted passage to improve the flow of urine.
“There are no cuts required to perform this procedure – the green light laser fibre is passed through the scope and the laser commences to vaporise the affected tissue, which usually takes around one to two hours, depending on the size of the prostate,” he said.
Dr Schoeman said the treatment requires an anaesthetic and usually a onenight hospital stay.
“With the laser sealing the blood vessels beneath the area of vaporisation during the procedure, there’s typically much less bleeding than with traditional surgery so green light laser therapy can be advantageous for patients on blood-thinning or anwti-coagulation medications,” he said.
Dr Schoeman encourages men to speak with their GP if they are experiencing the above symptoms.
Caboolture Private Hospital has been providing quality care to the local community for over 20 years, offering a more convenient alternative to inner city hospitals, close to home. It is also a Preferred Tier 1 Department of Veterans Affairs accredited hospital. Green light laser treatment is covered by private health insurance and the hospital also welcomes self-funded patients.
Learn more at cabooltureprivate.com.au, call 07) 5495 9400, or talk to your GP.