Tuesday, June 25, 2013 By Brian McDonald The first patient in Ireland to be treated for prostate enlargement without a general or spinal anaesthetic has been operated on at Galway University Hospital. And it is believed to have been the first time such an operation has been carried out anywhere in Europe. By the age of 70, about eight in 10 men have an enlarged prostate. This causes them to pass urine more frequently. They can also suffer from urgency and poor flow. Two years ago, consultant urology surgeon Syed Jaffry introduced a laser technique for treating prostate enlargement as a day case procedure at the Galway hospital. Now, he has treated the first patient using a regional anaesthesia technique to perform the laser treatment. Regional anaesthesia targets a larger part of the body than is usually numbed bya local anaesthetic. It targets and numbs the nerves around the prostate, with the result that the patient doesn’t feel any pain. “The introduction of the laser technique to treat prostate enlargement as a day case in 2011 was a huge advance as it means that patients can be treated and go home the same day compared with the traditional surgical treatment for prostatic enlargement which involves a three to seven day stay in hospital,” Mr Jaffry said. “In addition, the laser treatment is minimally invasive and provides immediate symptom relief with minimal side effects. Up until now I have been performing laser treatment under general or spinal anaesthesia.” Dr John McDonnell, consultant anaesthetist at the hospital, said patients who have been treated with regional anaesthetic techniques have a lower incidence of the negative side effects of general or spinal anaesthesia. They are able to mobilise earlier and so are at a decreased risk of developing pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and cardiac events. © Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cwmhojaumhey/rss2/ Tekno Surgical Registered in Ireland No: 47888 Registered Address: Wilton Works, Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. Ireland.
