A new minimally invasive treatment for enlarged prostate has been introduced at St Francis Hospital Mullingar, giving the men of the region the option of having what was once a severe condition dealt with in a simple day case procedure in most cases.
The new treatment, called Green Light Laser, is now available at the hospital based in Ballinderry, Mullingar.
“This new treatment of benign prostate disease is less stressful, less painful, and less complicated than before,” says Mr Syed Jaffry, consultant urologist of University Hospital Galway and Galway Clinic, who has recently worked with local urologists Mr Ahmed and Mr Siddiqui in St Francis Hospital to introduce the new procedure.
Enlarged prostate affects 80 per cent of men by the age of 80, giving them a poor urinary flow, increased frequency and urgency, along with episodes of incontinence causing significant discomfort.
Prior to the introduction of laser treatment, treatment of prostate disease involved an invasive operation (TURP ) which, while producing good results, involved a hospital stay of three or more days, significant blood loss, pain, infection, and sometimes impotence and incontinence.
Now St Francis Hospital Mullingar has joined a number of hospitals in Ireland in offering the latest in laser technology which turns prostate treatment into a less worrying condition.
Green Light Laser minimises blood loss. It also virtually eliminates the risks of impotence and incontinence which can affect those undergoing a TURP procedure.
Mr Jaffry has pioneered this technique in Ireland, and has seen the improvement made to the lives of hundreds of Irish men.
“In August 2005, when I first started this treatment in the Galway Clinic, I was sure that eventually this technique would be the front line runner in the treatment of benign prostatic obstruction. Green Light Laser provides much better results in terms of complications and outcomes.”
Dr Jaffry has visited St Francis Hospital in Mullingar several times in recent months, performing operations and training existing surgeons to the point where this will now be offered to men throughout the Midlands as an alternative to TURP.
