Prostate Treatment Gets Faster, More Effective

A minimally invasive procedure for treating enlarged prostates, first introduced in 2009 at Mount Desert Island Hospital, has recently gotten better. Urologist Surapaneni Ramanadha Rao, MD has begun using a faster and more effective update to GreenLightTM Laser therapy for treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).

Urologist Surapaneni Ramanadha Rao, MD has
begun using a faster and more effective update
to GreenLightTM Laser therapy for treatment of benign
prostate hyperplasia (BPH).

The procedure, which is reimbursed by Medicare and most private insurances, is done on an outpatient basis and avoids the side effects and expense of medication and the risks associated with invasive surgery.

BPH, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, affects more than half of all men over the age of 60.

GreenLight™ Laser therapy uses laser energy to remove enlarged prostate tissue delivering immediate and dramatic symptom relief. “The new technology, known as the XPSTM Laser with MoXyTM liquid cooled fiber, is more powerful and more effective at vaporizing tissue,” explained Dr. Rao. “In fact it is two times faster than the previous unit.”

Increased speed translates into less time under anesthesia for patients. “The increased power also means we can treat larger prostates in fewer treatments,” said Dr. Rao.

One of those patients, Mitch Lansky of Wytopitlock, was willing to make the drive from southern Aroostook County for the treatment. Having tried an alternative procedure known as TUMT (transurethral microwave therapy) and increasingly higher doses of medication with no luck, Lansky had to catheterize himself which, after a while, was also not working.

“One day I couldn’t get any urine out, even with the catheter,” said Lansky. “So I went to the ER in Houlton and ended up with a supra pubic catheter.” An active and busy man in his early 60s, Lansky was not ready to spend the rest of his life constrained by a tube in his abdomen that drained urine into a bag.

Fortunately, his doctor knew about Dr. Rao and his experience with the GreenLightTM Laser technology and he made the referral.

Lansky was happy to find a doctor who was confident he could provide permanent relief. “I had the biggest prostate Dr. Rao had seen,” said Lansky. “But he gave me the confidence to say this is what I want to do.”

Lansky was quickly impressed with Dr. Rao’s expertise, watching him work while under a local anesthesia. “I was able to witness what was going on and I could see that Dr. Rao had complete control over the instruments,” said Lansky. “The technology in itself doesn’t do the job. It’s the doctor, and Dr. Rao knows how to use it. It’s important to have a doctor with the skill and experience.”

Two months after his procedure, Lansky is thrilled with the results. “It’s certainly changed things enormously. It’s a miracle.”

And he feels strongly that anyone considering treatment for an enlarged prostate should consider the GreenLightTM Laser. “Would I recommend this?” asked Lansky. “You bet I would.”

Dr. Rao also performs incontinence procedures with mesh implantation in female patients and he is one of only six physicians in Maine who performs robotic surgery for cancers of kidney and prostate.
For more information on Dr. Rao’s practice, call 288-4177, or 288-5082, extension 7627.

For more details on the awardees, visit MDI Hospital’s 2023-2024 Annual Report at mdihospital.org.

MDI Hospital

MDI Hospital
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Bar Harbor, ME 04609
207 288-5081

At Mount Desert Island Hospital, we provide comprehensive care for you and your family through our hospital in Bar Harbor and a network of health centers across Mount Desert Island.