Urologist Uses New Laser

To Treat Enlarged Prostate

WATERBURY — For men over age of 40, prostate problems are nearly as common as graying hairlines. The walnut-size gland, responsible for producing seminal fluid during ejaculation, often enlarges over time, creating a host of pesky problems.

 Woodbury urologist Michael Flanagan, MD, is improving quality of life for men with enlarged prostates using a simple laser procedure known as Laserscope/Greenlight PVP (PVP stands for photo-selective vaporization).  Only in use around the country for approximately 22 months, it is fast becoming standard treatment for men with enlarged prostates, according to Dr Flanagan who has performed more than 50 of the procedures since July 2004.

 Approximately 4.5 million men visit a physician each year for enlarged prostates (benign prostataic hyperplasia, BHP). For these men, traveling long distances or sleeping through the night become serious issues due to the constant urge to visit the bathroom. Sometimes medication works to temporarily shrink the prostate-but not always.

“Short distances, long distances, it doesn’t matter,” said Ed Seckel, 78, a resident of Heritage Village, who was one of Dr Flanagan’s first patients to undergo the new procedure this summer. “For years I felt like I always had to go.”

“This is definitely a quality of life issue,” added Dr Flanagan, who performs the outpatient procedure at Waterbury Hospital.

The urologist explained that as the prostate grows, the tissue surrounding the urethra expands, clamping the urethra like a garden hose. “This causes the bladder to contract more forcefully over time, which results in bladder wall thickening — decreasing the bladder capacity and increasing urinary frequency, and sometimes impairing bladder emptying,” he explained.

Ed Seckel recalled that he had an enlarged prostate for about 12 years. “I was taking medicine during that time, which controls it a little bit and opens it up, but I still had problems,” he said.

During the new procedure, which typically takes 30 to 60 minutes, Dr Flanagan uses the laser to vaporize the tissue of prostate, thereby dramatically reducing the obstruction of the bladder.

The procedure has advantages over other popular prostate reduction procedures, including microwave and transurethral needle ablation, both of which deliver low-level energy to prostate tissue so it will be sloughed and absorbed by the body over time.

The new laser procedure offers more immediate relief, significantly reduces postprocedure bleeding, and often eliminates the need to wear a catheter during the healing process, Dr Flanagan explained. Men undergoing the new procedure are also discharged from the hospital on the same day, a significant advantage over other procedures, which require a two- to three-day hospital stay, the physician noted.

Most importantly, the laser procedure is considered a more permanent fix. “As few as one in eight men will require another procedure within ten years,” noted Dr Flanagan.

Patients also experience immediate symptom relief and significant improvements in urinary flow rates. “If there are any side effects, they are minimal and temporary,” said Dr Flanagan. “Patients usually feel well within two to three days, although full recovery can take several weeks. There may be some blood in the urine, but that is common and harmless during the recovery process.”