A consultant surgeon has said a new laser procedure for enlarged prostate treatment can cut surgical risks, prevent severe complications and help patients avoid kidney failure.
Doctor Explains New Laser Treatment
Dr Paul Ngwu, Consultant Urologist, Laparoscopic Surgeon and Head of Surgery at the Federal Medical Centre, said the technology offers a safer option for men with severe prostate enlargement.
Furthermore, he said the treatment uses a minimally invasive method instead of traditional open surgery. He explained that doctors use a laser-based procedure called thulium fibre laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuFLEP) to remove enlarged prostate tissue completely.
“It is an improved technology for removing the enlarged prostate without having to cut the body open, as it were,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ngwu explained that doctors pass laser energy through a fibre to separate and remove the enlarged tissue with precision. He said the process causes less physical injury and allows doctors to remove the prostate more effectively.
Enlarged Prostate Can Damage Kidneys
However, Ngwu warned that enlarged prostate cases become more common as men grow older. He explained that the prostate sits below the bladder and naturally increases in size with age.
Furthermore, he said the urine channel passes through the prostate. As the organ grows larger, it can squeeze the channel and reduce urine flow.
“So that is what causes the issue of urination problems in men. Poor urine flow, difficulty urination and all the rest of them in men,” he said.
Consequently, he warned that delayed treatment can create serious health problems. He said many men only seek treatment after the condition becomes severe.
“We see men come, at the point of death, because they have an enlarged prostate and they didn’t know what to do about it,” he stated.
Early Treatment Remains Important
Meanwhile, the surgeon explained that blocked urine flow can push urine back into the kidneys and trigger long-term damage.
“When urine starts flowing back to the kidneys, you just discover that the kidneys will start going into what you call failure,” he said.
Furthermore, Ngwu said doctors use medications in early stages to relax the prostate and improve urine flow. However, he said some patients later require surgery when drugs stop working.
He also said the laser treatment works well for very large prostates that previously required open surgery. According to him, doctors can remove glands weighing 150g, 200g or even 250g without major cuts or blood transfusions.
“You discover that you remove a 150g prostate, 200g prostate, 250g prostate, and you don’t need to give a patient blood,” he said.
In response, Ngwu dismissed fears around sexual performance after treatment. He said the procedure does not usually affect erections when doctors use modern equipment correctly.
“Once it is done with the modern equipment that we use, it does not affect erections,” he added.
He urged men to seek medical attention immediately when they notice symptoms such as difficulty urinating. He stressed that prevention remains better than treating severe complications later.
External Links
