A pioneering medical laser procedure that helps to ease the symptoms of an enlarged prostate has been carried out at the Belmont Clinic.

The first Laser Trans-urethral Resection for the Prostate (Laser TURP) procedure took place on Friday, may 6 by a medical team led by urologist Dr Dwayne Thwaites.

The surgery is believed to have been done for the first time in Antigua & Barbuda, the OECS and possibly the Caribbean.

Chairman of Belmont Clinic Dr Eumel Samuel explained the procedure.

“Basically, it is to relieve the volume of the prostate that is compressing the testicular urethra so that the patient can be comfortable with the passage of urine and would not have the symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. most patients can head out of that operating room for home within 24 hours,” he said.

Samuel and several other medical practitioners witnessed the procedure including Dr José Humphreys, Dr Rasheda Williams and Dr Olobukola Ogumbiyi; and nursing personnel Charma Tonge, Rosemary Beazer, Bobsey George and Alison James.

Trans-urethral resection of the prostate or TURP is a highly effective and modern urological operation used to treat Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate. the procedure involves the insertion of a triple lumen catheter through the urethra to irrigate and drain the bladder while a laser is used to remove parts of the prostate to ease urinary flow.

A Laser Lithotripsy procedure for bladder stones was carried out on the same patient successfully. Lithotripsy is the use of high-energy shock waves to fragment and disintegrate kidney stones.

Belmont Clinic ltd is a premier medical facility in the Caribbean comprising of a medical and surgical inpatient division, pharmacy, radiological and diagnostic department, outpatient clinics including Integrative Medicine Departments and two state of the art surgical suites.

(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)