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What is prostate hyperplasia?

BPH is a common benign condition that causes problems with urination and affects approximately 40% of men over the age of 60. This percentage increases gradually with age, while the cause of the condition is unknown. It may be part of the aging process and be due to hormonal reasons, but in no case is it cancer or increases the chances of its development.

What are the symptoms & how do they appear?

The prostate is located at the point where the urethra starts from the bladder and which it surrounds, while the seminal vesicles rest on its back wall and are anatomically and functionally connected to it. The normal course of prostate growth begins at the beginning of puberty, when it doubles in size.

An enlarged prostate can put pressure on the urethra and bladder, causing urination disorders, including nocturia, frequent urination, urgency, incontinence, inability to urinate (urinary retention), slow or delayed onset of urination, or incomplete emptying of the bladder (urinary retention). However, most patients are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic.

What are the possible complications of prostate hyperplasia?

The formation of stones in the bladder is a complication of prostate hypertrophy and, more rarely, other abnormalities. Another complication is bladder diverticula (i.e. the formation of internal hernias in the bladder mucosa), which are usually caused by urethral obstruction by the hyperplastic prostate.

Their presence in the bladder is a hotbed of microbes and leads to chronic inflammation of the mucosa. Untreated diverticula may rarely cause carcinoma of the bladder epithelium.

What are the methods of diagnosis?

The diagnosis of prostate hyperplasia is made after taking the history and the existing symptoms, mainly by digital examination, hematological, urometric, ultrasound or cystoscopic examination.

HoLEP: The new pioneering step in the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

The treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with the new technique is based on the use of a lower intensity holmium laser. This specific technique enucleates the benign hypertrophic tissue of the prostate, reaching its capsule, thus a more radical removal is performed. Additionally, due to the radicality of the operation, the method can treat large prostates, even those larger than 150 gr, which until now have been treated with other surgical methods.

What are the benefits for the patient?

The benefits resulting from the application of the HoLEP method are multiple. Among other things, it presents minimal postoperative discomfort, for a very limited period of time, offers quick removal of the catheter (in less than 24 hours), while the patient is discharged within 24 hours, having immediate reactivation in his daily life.

Above all, however, it is an almost bloodless technique, even for larger prostates (ideal for patients who do not have to discontinue anticoagulants), constituting one of the safest techniques with extremely low complication rates.

Specialization and Organized Hospital Structures:

The daily update on new technologies and materials, combined with the continuous investments of the Athens Medical Group in biomedical equipment, allows us to provide the Group’s hospitals with the latest in modern treatment for diseases of the urinary system.

At the same time, and through the high degree of experience and specialization of our Team, especially in new techniques such as HoLEP, which require a long learning curve, we are able to offer the most personalized, safe and minimally invasive solution for every case of prostate pathology (hyperplasia or cancer), no matter how complex.