New, less-invasive prostate laser op a success
A DURBAN resident who had a severely enlarged prostate has become the first South African to undergo the holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) surgery.
The HoLEP, a laser procedure to treat an enlarged prostate, the most common non-cancerous prostate medical condition to develop in men by the time they reach their sixties, was introduced to the country at Netcare Parklands Hospital in Durban.
Dhanapalan Pillay, who had the condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), admitted that prior to the procedure he was “quite scared, as I really didn’t know what to expect”.
“I am most grateful to have had the benefit offered by the new procedure. I have previously had two TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) procedures to assist with bladder flow obstruction, both of which were quite uncomfortable and took quite some time to recover from.
“I was therefore most pleasantly surprised by my experience with HoLEP. I had very little pain and bleeding after the operation, and was up and about the afternoon following it, which was way beyond my expectations,” Pillay said.
The 74-year-old said his symptoms had largely been resolved, and his life was back to normal and he was walking every morning.
“I am most grateful to Dr Kalpee and his team at Netcare Parklands Hospital for performing this procedure, which has made a great difference to my life,” he added.
Dr Amit Kalpee, a urologist who completed the European HoLEP Masterclass and performed the successful surgery with his team, is the first HoLEP surgeon in South Africa.
“A severely enlarged prostate causes uncomfortable urinary symptoms. HoLEP involves using a special, high-powered laser to remove the gland and any tissue that causes obstruction of the urethra, through which the urine drains. This resolves symptoms such as urine blockage, which can cause bladder and urinary tract infections and potentially serious kidney complications if left untreated,” Kalpee said.
Explaining the procedure, he said the surgery was done under anaesthetic with the assistance of a tiny camera, which, together with the laser instrument, was mounted on a fine telescopic rod inserted into the urethra via the penis.
“HoLEP takes slightly longer to complete than a TURP, but it is less invasive and has a number of advantages over this standard procedure.
“There is less bleeding than after a TURP, and patients are often ready to be discharged from hospital much sooner, and recurrence does not occur.”