Essential Facts About Chronic Kidney Disease
Benign( non-cancerous) prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a benign medical condition, also called an enlarged prostate, that affects ageing men. When men cross their 40s, the prostate begins to grow, by the age of 50, this becomes the most common prostate problem, and by the age of 70 or 80 around 90% of men have an enlarged prostate. In the case of BPH, the prostate grows and blocks or squeezes the urethra and in some cases, if neglected, becomes too large, thereby causing problems with urination. Initial symptoms of BPH include :
If treated casually, BPH can lead to symptoms like blood in urine, infections in the bladder, Kidney stones, or kidney damage. However, Infertility or prostate cancer aren’t BPH symptoms or causes as BPH does not lead to erectile issues.
After suggesting a few lifestyle changes and medications if there’s no improvement in the BPH condition, only then the doctors opt for surgery.
Prostate Cancer is a very common form of cancer in men. It usually does not have any early warning symptoms and is detected only while screening tests. Some signs that relate to the advance stage symptoms include:
Late-stage cancer symptoms include lymphedema, lower back pain, localised swellings due to excess lymph-fluid accumulation. The rate of recovery from prostate cancer is much higher than the other forms because it progresses slowly and gives enough time for treatment and cure.Late-stage cancer symptoms include lymphedema, lower back pain, localised swellings due to excess lymph-fluid accumulation. The rate of recovery from prostate cancer is much higher than the other forms because it progresses slowly and gives enough time for treatment and cure.
The objective of prostate surgery depends on the patient’s condition. In case of a prostate cancer surgery, the goal is to get the cancerous tissue removed, while in case of BPH surgery, the goal is to restore normal urinary flow by removing prostate tissue.
Open Plasectomy is also the traditional open surgery. The surgeon makes an inversion through the skin and removes the prostate gland and the needed nearby tissues. It has two primary approaches:
In either type of Plasectomy, the patient is placed under general, epidural or spinal anaesthesia.
Laparoscopic Surgery is a less invasive approach of prostate surgery with two main methods:
Before the patient gains any consciousness or wakes up, the surgeon places a catheter into his penis for his bladder to drain completely. The catheter usually stays for the first two weeks from surgery. The patient might have to stay for a few weeks but usually is allowed to go home after 24 hours. The patient is given clear and elaborated instructions on how to manage the catheter and care for the surgical area to avoid infection or other complications. A healthcare worker removes the catheter when the situations are right, and the patient is capable of urinating by themselves.
Post-surgery, the surgical area is expected to stay sore for some time and a few symptoms like blood with urine, irritation, lack of urine control, infections in the urinary tract, etc. can be expected too. The recovery time overall depends on overall health, type and length of surgery and how well the doctor’s instructions are followed.
Even though studies suggest that 9 out of 10 men would suffer from BPH by the age of 80, people still wonder if there are ways of preventing it. The answer to it from most doctors is NO. A few lifestyle changes can do some good for the prostate, like good exercise and heart-healthy diet which keeps weight under control. Exercise can also help in emptying the bladder. Some health conditions that make patients susceptible to BPH and can be controlled/ managed are: