QUESTION: I am a man over 70 years of age, and facing the need for a prostate operation.
However, I witnessed a horror story when a good friend of mine had the same operation, and passed away immediately afterwards from complications. Isn't there some other way to deal with my problem, with less risk and danger, and perhaps less pain as well?
ANSWER: Many men face the same situation with the same apprehensions and fear.
In 1987, prostatectomy (the removal of excess prostatic tissue) was the most common surgery in men 65 years of age and older.
While the condition of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is rarely seen in men under the age of 40, by the time age 60 rolls around, about half of the men have evidence of the changes that occur.
As men grow older, the tissue of the prostate grows and expands causing an obstruction of the urethra, the tube which passes through the penis and carries urine from the bladder past the prostate, out of the body.
This obstruction produces the symptoms of frequent trips to the bathroom, decreased force of the urinary stream, and incomplete emptying of the bladder.
Once an operation has removed this extra tissue, the symptoms usually disappear, but since most men would rather avoid the surgery, new methods are being sought that could avoid the procedure.
Medications (alpha adrenergic antagonists) that can relax the smooth muscle of the prostate and reduce the pressure that causes the urethral obstruction are now being tested in Europe and the United States, but have not as yet received necessary Food and Drug Administration approval for use in the United States.
Other chemicals that block the action of male hormones are also being tested, as these hormones are thought to play a role in the development of BPH.
A new procedure which inserts a catheter with a balloon at its tip into the urethra is also experimental.
In this technique, once positioned the balloon is inflated under pressure, and forces the urethra open, thus allowing the free flow of urine.
While these new medications and procedures do offer much hope for the future, for the present only a form of prostatectomy can solve the problem in an effective manner.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
