FRIDAY, Jan. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Britain’s King Charles III is anticipated undergo surgery next week to correct an enlarged prostate, and experts say these procedures are common in older men and protected.
The king, 75, has what’s clinically generally known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
“An enlarged prostate means the gland has grown larger. Prostate enlargement happens to just about all men as they become old,” noted Dr. Ravi Munver, vice chair of urology at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, N.Y.
The prostate is positioned between the pelvis and the bladder, and because it grows in size it might put pressure on the bladder and urethra, Munver explained.
He stressed that BPH shouldn’t be a cancer, and it should not raise a person’s odds for cancer. It’s, nevertheless, an annoying condition for a lot of older men.
“An enlarged prostate could cause symptoms that could be a hassle equivalent to blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder,” Munver explained. That may mean trouble initiating urination, too frequent urination or difficulties fully emptying the bladder.
“It also could cause bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems. In some cases, it might be treated with medication; [in] other instances, surgery is required, depending on the scale of the prostate,” he said.
Dr. Justin Friedlander is professor of urology and urologic oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
He said there are plenty of signs that surgery could be the very best course of treatment for an enlarged prostate. Besides trouble with urination, they include “repeated urinary tract infections, formation of bladder stones, persistent or recurrent blood within the urine as a result of bleeding from the prostate, [and] swelling of the kidneys,” Friedlander said.
As to the style of surgery men might undergo, that call is often “individualized to the patient’s medication conditions,” he said.
“There are several sorts of surgery that will be performed for an enlarged prostate, including using a laser or water ablation,” Munver said. “It shouldn’t be clear what style of surgery King Charles is having.”
In keeping with the Cleveland Clinic, among the most typical BPH surgeries include:
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Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). This procedure uses a laser light or electric current to chop away excess prostate tissue. It’s done under anesthesia, and a special tool is inserted into the urethra to assist the surgeon see and take away tissue.
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Transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP). The urologist makes two small incisions into the prostate and where your urethra and bladder join (bladder neck). This widens the urethra and improves the flow of urine from the bladder.
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Transurethal evaporization. On this procedure, a urologist uses a heated electrode to focus on the enlarged area of the prostate, effectively turning excess cells into steam. An analogous procedure can be performed using a laser as an alternative of electrodes.
All of those procedures allow the patient to resume normal activities inside a number of days, the Cleveland Clinic said.
In an announcement, Buckingham Palace said, “His Majesty was keen to share the small print of his diagnosis to encourage other men who could also be experiencing symptoms to get checked consistent with public health advice.”
More information:
There’s more on enlarged prostate on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
SOURCES: Justin Friedlander, MD, professor, urology/urologic oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia; Ravi Munver, MD, vice chair, department of urology, Hackensack University Medical Center, and division director, Minimally Invasive & Robotic Urologic Surgery