Phelps Memorial Hospital Center Urologists Are Now Using Breakthrough Laser Surgery To Treat Prostate Problems

New Green Light XPS laser treatment for prostate problems is now an option at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. This new treatment is faster and more efficient than earlier options.

Sleepy Hollow, NY (PRWEB) - A new laser treatment for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) called Green Light XPS is being performed at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow, New York. There is little bleeding associated with the treatment, so even men taking blood thinners are candidates. All men with BPH benefit from this new, powerful laser treatment, which enables them to stop taking prostate medications permanently.

Often, people who have primary conditions such as atrial fibrillation, cardiac stents, stroke, pulmonary embolis, deep vein thrombosis or coronary artery disease need to take anti-coagulants to prevent severe complications from these disease processes. In the past, men with these conditions who then develop voiding difficulties due to an enlarged prostate have not been able to have surgery because stopping the anti-coagulants would increase the risks associated with their primary condition. They generally have to rely on medications. If the medications to treat their enlarged prostate become ineffective, however, the therapeutic options other than surgery – such as a permanent catheter – have been limited and usually not desirable. Now, Green Light XPS provides a surgical option for all men with BPH, including those taking blood thinners.

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center urologists Jack Hershman, MD and Arno Housman, MD had been using earlier versions of this and other laser system for years, but those lasers were much less powerful and less effective for treating even normal BPH and were not appropriate for men taking blood thinners. Green Light XPS is powerful enough to treat even large glands rapidly and it results in far less bleeding than older types of surgery because it seals blood vessels as it works. The treatment is faster and more efficient than the former gold standard, TURP.

What Is BPH?
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. The prostate is a gland in males that is located below the bladder and surrounding the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis. The prostate, which is about the size of a walnut in teenage years, can grow to be as large as an orange by the time a man is in his 70s. An enlarged prostate surrounds and compresses the urethra, which obstructs the flow of urine. Untreated, it can cause problems in the bladder and kidneys. Obstruction from BPH presents as:

•     Frequent urination, especially at night
•     Weak urine flow
•     Sudden urge to urinate
•     Trouble starting and stopping urine stream
•     Inability to completely empty the bladder
•     Pushing or straining to urinate
•     Pain or burning during urination

TURP—the Traditional Telescopic Surgical Method
Trans-Urethral Resection of Prostate (TURP) has been the gold standard of prostate surgery. During this surgery, performed while a patient is under general or spinal anesthesia, a surgical instrument is inserted into the urethra through a cystoscope, a very thin telescope that allows the doctor to see inside the bladder and trim away excess prostate tissue that is blocking urine flow. It is an operation that generally requires at least a one- to two-day stay in the hospital during which the bladder is continuously irrigated to prevent obstruction from blood clots. A catheter is left in place to drain urine from the patient’s bladder for one to three days. TURP is generally used to treat moderate sized prostates.

How Is Green Light XPS Laser Surgery Done?
During Green Light XPS laser surgery, a laser instrument is inserted into the urethra via a cystoscope while the patient is under general or spinal anesthesia. The laser delivers high-powered energy, which heats up tissue in the enlarged prostate and causes it to “vaporize,” resulting in a large channel for urine to pass through. The procedure takes from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the size and anatomy of the prostate. The therapy remains effective for years.

Although an overnight stay is not necessary, many patients of Dr. Housman and Dr. Hershman remain overnight in the hospital. The next morning, the catheter is removed and patients leave the hospital.
“This is a painless operation with reduced post-operative discomfort as compared to TURP,” says Dr. Hershman. “Most patients can resume normal activities within a couple of days, and strenuous activities, including sex, within three to four weeks.”

“The real advantage to these patients is getting them off the prostate medications,” says Dr. Housman. “This is a safe, quick, well-tolerated procedure. Men who have been afraid to have surgery, or for whom surgery was previously not considered as an option, are now excellent candidates.”

Bios:
Jack Hershman, MD, is board certified in urology. He attended medical school at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He completed a residency in general surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital followed by a residency in urology at Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center. Dr. Hershman has offices on the Phelps campus at 777 North Broadway, Suite 309 (914-631-3331) and at 132 Maple Street in Croton-on-Hudson (914-271-9331).

Arno Housman, MD, chief of urology at Phelps, is board certified in urology and serves on the hospital’s medical board. He hosts a local access cable TV show on medical topics called “Vital Signs,” which is produced by Phelps and also available for viewing on the hospital’s website (http://www.phelpshospital.org). Dr. Housman attended medical school at SUNY Downstate. He fulfilled his general surgery requirements at Kings County Hospital Center, followed by a residency in urology at Yale University School of Medicine. His private office is at 325 South Highland Avenue in Briarcliff Manor (914-941-0617).

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow, New York, is a 238-bed community hospital with 450 medical staff, representing 50 clinical specialties. Phelps was the first Westchester satellite for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and is a member of the Stellaris Health Network. For more information, please visit http://www.phelpshospital.org.