A GROUP of Russian doctors have been learning first hand about groundbreaking surgery that allows men to go home just hours after undergoing a hassle-free procedure to fix their problem prostates.
The 10 urologists from two Moscow hospitals were at Nuffield Health Hospital in Brentwood for a five-day mentoring visit with its resident urologist Anil Vohra to hone the one-day procedure that uses lasers instead of mechanical blades to help people struggling to urinate properly
The visit was arranged by the Holmium Users Group which promotes the technique by fostering mentoring exchanges between hospitals all over the world.
Constantine Lokshin, 40, a urologist from 1st Moscow State Medical University urology clinic, said: "I believe this procedure will become the gold standard to treat enlarged prostates."
Transurethral resection of the prostate involves cutting away a section of the gland.
The procedure is frequently used to treat enlarged prostates, which can restrict urinary flow, and is the most common type of prostate surgery, with approximately 40,000 operations performed each year.
Until lasers were introduced to tackle enlarged prostates, it was a tricky and painful operation often leading to considerable bleeding. The yearly cost to the NHS of non-laser procedures was £65 million.
The benefits of the new method – Holmium Laser enucleation to give it its medical term – are not just medical: the costs to the health service are dramatically reduced as patients do not need as much postoperative care.
The two units of blood previously needed in the operation cost £1,000 alone.
However, Dr Lokshin warned: "We often see men who need more complicated treatment because they have not seen a doctor earlier."
The visit coincides with the annual charity appeal Movember – which asks men all over the world to grow a moustache with the aim of raising vital funds and awareness for men's health issues – including prostate cancer concerns – during November.
