RG Stone Urology Centre, part of the RG Stone Hospital Chain, India's only national chain of super specialty hospitals for urology & laparoscopy etc has adopted the advanced 'Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate' (HOLEP) Technique to treat Enlargement' or 'Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia' (BPH) on three patients. The surgery was performed at the Bangalore facility located within the Sugana Hospital.

All three patients, who had prostates weighing more than 100 grams were not appropriate candidates for the older conventional technique of 'Transurethral Resection of the Prostate' (TURP), which is unsuitable for operations on prostates weighing more than 80 gms. Also TURP is not recommended for elderly patients, patients using cardiac pacemakers or anticoagulant medicines.

The HOLEP Technique uses the 100-Watt Holmium Laser by which even the 280 gms prostate was successfully operated. Also HOLEP Technique can be used on even those BPH patients, who are using cardiac pacemakers, or those who are denied surgery due to complications expected from open surgery. This is because HOLEP Technique can operate upon prostate irrespective of the size of prostate; it is not an open surgery; it requires short hospital stay, is safer, and offers faster recovery as compared to the conventional technique TURP. RG Stone Urology Centre is the only institute in entire Karnataka to possess the HOLEP Technique. This information was given by Dr Anand M, chief urologist, RG Stone Urology Centre.

"The advent of laser application in urology has revolutionized treatment of prostate and stone disease in recent times. Most of the patients have large prostates with significant co-morbid illnesses and several of them are on anti-coagulants, which pose significant risk to the conventional procedure of TURP. However, because of the HOLEP advantages, all of them can have complete enucleation in single sitting regardless of prostate size and an uneventful & quick recovery. Also, so far none of our patients have required blood transfusions as the bleeding during HOLEP is negligible. Unlike TURP, HOLEP is also a viable option for patients with cardiac pacemakers as HOLEP does not use electrocautery which interferes with pacemakers. Even during the follow-ups patients have not had any problems with sequlae like strictures or bladder-neck scarring which are seen more often following TURP, stated Dr Anand.

According to Dr Manish Bansal, managing director- RG Scientific Enterprises Ltd, the RG Stone Centre is offering a 50 per cent discount on out patient department (OPD) consultations, followed by a 10 per cent discount on procedures, for all the senior citizens of Karnataka. It will also conduct free camps every month at our Bangalore centre for all the patients, who are suffering from any urological disorder like Kidney Stone, Enlarged Prostate, Kidney/Prostate Cancer, Female Urinary Incontinence etc. Tests like Ultra sound, Blood, Urine, Uroflowmetry, PSA, worth Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 2,500, will be done free at the camps."

RG Stone, located at the heart of the city in Suguna Hospital, Rajajinagar, will also be extending its services towards the South East of Bangalore before the year end. There are certain districts in the State, which have been identified as the stone belt areas. These include Kolar, Tumkur, Pavagada. The Centre will open up its Information Centers & Clinics, and will soon be present in seven more districts across the state.