Research shows that majority of men over 60 will have an enlarged prostate which may affect their urinary system and quality of life and for which treatment ranges from medicine through to minimally invasive surgery.

And men often think frequent trips to the bathroom are a natural part of ageing, when, in most cases, this is due to an enlarged prostate. In some cases, the solution is a minimally invasive procedure known as Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), a common procedure with patients back home after two to three days in hospital, says The Urology Hospital’s Dr Francois Duvenage.

Dr Duvenage recently teamed up with NPO, Operation Healing Hands (OHH) -- which helps those who can’t afford life-saving operations -- to offer a free TURP procedure on a 73-year-old man who had an indwelling catheter for six months and who had been unable to get immediate help from a public hospital.

“TURP, in many ways is the ultimate procedure in that we can operate without cuts by going in through the penis, removing enlarged parts of the prostate and thereby allowing patients to urinate freely again. Through his operation, we solved the problem of the 73-year-old patient effectively.”

Duvenage explained that an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) places pressure on the urethra, affecting urination. He said TURP is recommended when an enlarged prostate fails to respond to medication.

Symptoms include: 

• Difficulty starting to urine or being unable to empty the bladder fully
• Having to strain to pass urine, having a weak urine flow or stopping and starting
• Sudden urges to urinate or a frequent need to urinate including at night (known as nocturia)

“Not all men with enlarged prostates require this procedure. Medication helps if diagnosed early. I recommend all men over 40 should see a urologist annually to check for a cancerous or enlarged prostate,” said Dr Duvenage.

He urged men to call The Urology Hospital, Pretoria, to set up an appointment with a urologist.

For more information, contact 012 423-4000 or SMS the word INFO and your e-mail address to 33000 (SMS charged at R1.50).

Robotic surgery is set for dramatic global growth due to an increasing incidence of chronic diseases and the success of the minimally invasive technology in treating these, according to a new report. In 2013 The Urology Hospital, Pretoria, became the first institution in South Africa to acquire a robotic surgical system and has to date performed about 1 800 robotic procedures, by far the majority of the country’s total number -- mostly prostatectomies (removal of cancerous prostate glands).

Other robotically assisted operations at the hospital include partial and full nephrectomies (removal of cancerous kidneys) and cystectomies (removal of the bladder) with urinary reconstruction. The technology is set to be applied to gynaecological, pelvic floor, colo-rectal and hernia procedures in the future.

The robotics report by Global Market Insights, notes that increased suffering from chronic disease, coupled with growing patient preference for minimally invasive procedures to prevent post-operative trauma and complications, is driving demand for robotic surgery.

A separate study says that by next year, 80% of radical prostatectomies in the US will be performed robotically. A scientific review last year showed that robotic surgery provides better functional results than conventional procedures in the removal of cancerous prostate glands. Urologist, Dr Hugo van der Merwe, said research shows that just over 23% of all South African men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, adding: “robotic surgery is dramatically helping improve the treatment of prostate cancer by reducing the side effects and lowering levels of incontinence and impotence significantly compared to open surgery.”

The Urology Hospital, Pretoria, is the only specialised hospital of its kind in the country, comprising 24 urologists, 11 of whom are trained in robotic surgery – the highest concentration of robotic surgeons in the country.

The Hospital also houses the only robotic training facility in the country with three qualified robotic proctors available to train future robotic surgeons. For more information, contact 012 423-4000 or SMS the word INFO and your email address to 33000 (SMS charged at R1.50).

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