Windsor Regional Hospital now offers ThuLEP prostate surgery
Windsor Regional Hospital now offers ThuLEP, a minimally invasive laser surgery for an enlarged prostate. It's one of only three health-care centres in Ontario that do it. Weak stream, up at night to pee, stuck with a catheter? Ask your family doctor.
Topics: Health
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Men in Windsor-Essex with an enlarged prostate have a new surgery option close to home.
Windsor Regional Hospital has introduced ThuLEP, short for thulium laser enucleation of the prostate. It's a minimally invasive surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common condition in older men where the prostate grows and blocks the flow of urine.
Why it matters here
WRH says it is one of only three health-care centres in Ontario offering the procedure, and it expects more than 50 cases in the first year. The program is led by Dr. Haider Abed, a urologist at the hospital.
The hospital says ThuLEP is an advance over older surgeries such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), green light laser and open prostatectomy, with shorter hospital stays and shorter catheter times.
Who it's for
Dr. Abed says men with an enlarged prostate who have symptoms such as a weak stream, waking up at night to pee, frequent voiding, or relying on a catheter they can't get rid of would qualify.
What to do
If that sounds like you, talk to your family doctor about whether a referral to a urologist makes sense. WRH does not take appointments or give referrals over the phone.
