Prostate diseases, diagnosis and treatment
PROSTATE DISEASES
The prostate may only be the size of a chestnut but can cause extreme discomfort if a disorder develops. As the urethra runs right through the middle, changes in the prostate can have a direct impact on the flow of urine. Besides benign (harmless) conditions, cancer cells can also conceal themselves in the prostate: these need to be located and treated.
Detecting and treating prostate cancer
Unfortunately, cancer cells in the prostate can often remain asymptomatic for extended periods, spreading unnoticed. Since prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer in men, screening examinations are essential and highly recommended. If we find blood test results characteristic of cancer, we take a closer look under the microscope after performing a biopsy. Ultimately, the success of treatment is directly linked to diagnosing and treating the condition as early and as quickly as possible with the most appropriate methods.
Benign prostate diseases
Even if the term “benign” quite rightly gives reason to rest easier, benign prostate diseases can also be accompanied by stubborn symptoms and have an enormous impact on quality of life. Most common is an enlargement of the prostate that usually results in nocturia (waking frequently during the night to urinate) and problems with potency and ejaculation. You do not have to put up with these or similar symptoms, however, as we can do something about it.
Inflammations are another example of benign prostate disease which similarly require thorough investigation and appropriate treatment.
The Rezum™ technique
Do you suffer from a lack of sleep because you are regularly woken up at night by your bladder and the urge to urinate, or would you like to regain your potency and ability to ejaculate? Such symptoms are often related to benign prostate enlargement. Since the urethra passes right through the prostate, it can become increasingly constricted from the outside and thus block the natural flow of urine if the prostate is enlarged. The aim is therefore to reduce the size of the prostate and give the urethra with the space it needs. The Rezum™ technique is an elegant and effective method designed for precisely this purpose.
Using the Rezum™ technique, the prostate tissue is gently but effectively reduced without the use of a scalpel. Starting from the urethra, selected sites of the prostate are treated with steam. It takes only a few seconds per site to destroy any excess prostate cells. The dead cells are then broken down naturally by the body and a regulated flow of urine is restored.
Other services
Transurethral resection (TUR) of the prostate is another minimally invasive procedure. It also involves accessing the prostate tissue through the urethra. Using a small wire snare, sections of the enlarged prostate tissue are carefully cut away. A minimal flow of current in the snare also ensures that the tissue is largely destroyed without causing any subsequent bleeding. A permanent catheter left in place for the following two days ensures that the tissue recovers well from the procedure. Somewhat longer postoperative monitoring is therefore required with this technique, and the inpatient stay is usually three nights.
If the enlargement of your prostate is already too advanced for the usual methods or you are taking blood thinners, HoLEP could be the treatment of choice for you. Like TUR of the prostate, this technique also involves cutting away the tissue and thus significantly reducing the size of the prostate. The only difference here is the use of modern laser technology. Following this procedure, it takes the tissue about two days to recover with the aid of a permanent catheter. The inpatient stay is therefore about three nights.