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Ask the Doctor: Bringing BPH Treatment to Light An
estimated six out of ten men over age 60 experience the frequent and urgent need
to urinate that comes with prostate enlargement. Fortunately, mild cases of
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be successfully treated with drugs.
However, if medications do not help, surgery may offer a quick path to relief.
One of the more interesting procedures to emerge in this area involves the use
of a laser. In a 45-minute procedure, the surgeon inserts a tiny holmium laser
through the patient's urethra into the prostate. Then, each pulse of the laser
cuts away excess tissue that heretofore obstructed the urethra and impeded urine
flow. Because the laser clots as it cuts, there is no bleeding and quicker
healing.
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