$Unique_ID{BRK01029}
$Pretitle{Genitourinary System}
$Title{Are There Any Alternatives to a Prostate Operation?}
$Subject{prostate enlargement treatment surgery}
$Volume{J-16}
$Log{
Prostate Cancer*0007601.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Are There Any Alternatives to a Prostate Operation?


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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?

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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.
ÿ
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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.
