Laser Prostate Treatment

My dad will going for the TURP procedure shortly here in the USA. He has no insurance and will be taking care of the costs personally.
Does anyone have an idea of the average cost breakdown: doctors charge for the procedure, facility charge, anesthesia charge etc

nSightec Ltd., the global leader in MR guided focused ultrasound technology and the only company to receive FDA approval for its ExAblate(R) system for treating uterine fibroids, announced that its ExAblate(R) system has been used for the first time for the treatment of prostate cancer patients. Seven patients with localized low-risk prostate cancer were treated worldwide so far…

View full post on Prostate / Prostate Cancer News From Medical News Today

Statistics show that most men have a 50% chance of experiencing hereditary hair loss by their 50th birthday. The severity and nature of baldness can vary greatly; it ranges from male and female pattern alopecia, alopecia areata, which involves the loss of some of the hair from the head, and alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all head hair, to the most extreme form, alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the body. The term bald derives from the English word balde, which means white or pale, or the Celtic word – ball, which means a white patch or blaze, such as on a horse’s head.

Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop hair loss. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out; treating thyroid disease will help remedy this. Correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss.

About 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you can suddenly temporarily lose a large amount of hair; this hair loss is related to the stress of the illness. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance; correcting the hormone imbalance may stop the hair loss. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it’s important to find the cause so that it can be treated properly and fast.

Many women notice hair loss about three months after they’ve had a baby; during pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out and when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up again. Some drugs or medications can cause hair loss, which improves when you stop taking the medicine; medications that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, medicines used for gout, and chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, too much vitamin A supplementation, birth control pills and antidepressants. In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from a person’s maternal grandfather; while there’s some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring’s likelihood of hair loss.

Products for hair loss include: shampoos, shampoos and conditioners, conditioners, lotions, creams, concealers, thinning hair shampoos, laser combs, laser brushes, the Lasertron Hair Growth Brush, herbal based products, chemical based pills or tablets, Nizoral shampoo, Neutrogena T-Gel, and many others. Regular aerobic exercise can help keep androgen levels naturally lower while maintaining overall health, lowering stress and increasing SHBG. Surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it may be considered an extreme measure.

There are hundreds of hair loss products used as hair loss remedies and treatments. Topical application of Ketoconazole, which is both an anti-fungal and a potent 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is often used as a supplement to other approaches. Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil (Rogaine in the U.S and elsewhere as Regaine) are drugs that have reported having shown some success in partially reversing loss but consider the side effects.

Very little testing has been done on the long-term effects of Minoxidil on women. While drastic, broad spectrum anti-androgens such as Flutamide are sometimes used topically; Flutamide is potent enough to have a feminizing effect in men, including growth of the breasts. Propecia is available with a prescription; comes in pill form, is only for men and may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working.

Vodka and cayenne remedy for loss – mix one jigger of vodka with a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (test on skin first for sensitivity) and rub it on the scalp; blood rushes to the hair follicles stimulated by the vodka and cayenne pepper – be careful if you try it. Circulation to the scalp is important. Saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have fewer side effects than finasteride and dutasteride; unlike other 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA (protein specific antigen).

Olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss – use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning. Try lying on a slant board with head down for 15 minutes a day, but clear it with your doctor first. Try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply to scalp every day as a tonic.

Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent in many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol; but consuming large amounts to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness. Try scalp massage every day. Garlic oil remedy for hair loss – at bedtime, puncture a couple of garlic pearles, squirt the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning.

Apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth. Garlic for hair loss remedy – an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the hair loss area, wait for an hour then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, shampoo your hair in the morning, repeat for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will be showing. Resveratrol, from grape skins, is a lipase inhibitor and by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb fat through the intestine walls, it reduces the total fat and calorie content of a person’s diet.

Keep in mind that hair loss should be continually treated, preferably natural however, even after it stops. Treatment for alopecia can be slow and sometimes not successful; the more hair that’s lost, the more you may have to work at it to get it back and in some cases may not be able to; but try as many natural non-invasive treatments and remedies as possible. If adequate treatment is not available for your type of hair loss, you may want to consider trying different types of hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement.

A new study shows that male rats prenatally exposed to low doses of atrazine, a widely used herbicide, are more likely to develop prostate inflammation and to go through puberty later than non-exposed animals. The research adds to a growing body of literature on atrazine, an herbicide predominantly used to control weeds and grasses in crops such as corn and sugar cane…

View full post on Prostate / Prostate Cancer News From Medical News Today

More than half of patients that suffer with any form of cancer are treated with the use of radiation. It has been found to be most effective used either alone or in conjunction with other kinds of cancer treatments.

While other treatment methods are very effective in killing, stopping or otherwise disabling cancerous cells, radiation uses ionization to kill the cells and shrink tumors. The desired result of radiation treatment is to shrink tumors and relieve the symptoms associated with different kinds of cancers to save healthy tissue in the process.

Chemotherapy is another cancer treatment that works to destroy cancerous cells by preventing the cells from growing and spreading. Although some healthy sells may be harmed by the use of this method they are quite capable of repairing themselves following treatment.

Chemotherapy uses a combination of drugs that affect the hormones already present in your body. These drugs have a boosting affect on the bodys immune system that aid in fighting the foreign cancerous cells. These drugs can destroy the cells altogether or change the way the body reacts to the cells formations. Use to both control and cure the cancer chemotherapy also relieves symptoms that cancer can cause, like pain which inevitably help the patient to live more comfortably.

Surgery stands as a sometimes-necessary cancer treatment that cannot be avoided. One type of surgery used in the treatment of cancer is cryosurgery, which is a surgical technique for freezing and then killing the cancerous cells. Some cancers like liver cancer and prostate cancer benefit best from treatments that attack cancers that are contained in one area. Cervical cancer and other cancers where precancerous or non-cancerous conditions exist benefit most from this type of cancer treatment.

Other treatment methods include the process of eliminating the blood supply that feed tumor growth. Cancer treatments that use high-intensity light and still others that treat the formation of tumors with heat are less widely known by the general public but are used widely alone and in conjunction with other treatment methods.

One such treatment that uses laser light to remove cancer growths is most often for cancers on the surface of the skin or on the lining of internal organs. Laser therapy eliminates the chance of excessive bleeding and prevents damage to healthy tissue and has a lower chance of infection than other more invasive surgeries for cancer.

On the other hand, a hyperthermia treatment exposes the tissues to very high temperatures that kill cancerous cells. This form of treatment is always used with other forms of treatment such as radiation and chemo.

Cancer treatment that act as angiogenesis inhibitors are being tested and researched as they will aim to prevent the formation of blood vessels that feed the cancerous cells and allow them to continue to grow. This method of treatment is still being tested and its not yet known whether or not these inhibitors work effectively in humans.

The brothers of men with prostate cancer are at an increased risk of prostate cancer diagnosis because of increased diagnostic activity and not necessarily because they carry a genetic mutation that increases risk of the disease, according to a study published online August 19 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute…

View full post on Prostate / Prostate Cancer News From Medical News Today

Prostate

Prostate is a gland that secretes an alkaline fluid into the pancreatic duct. This fluid constitutes up to 30% of the semen and it neutralizes the acidic vaginal tract and sustains the sperm life for longer. The fluid secreted by prostate includes proteolytic enzymes, prostatic acid phosphatase, and prostate-specific antigen.

Problems associated with Prostate

Two most common problems associated with prostate gland are prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and  malignant prostatic hyperplasia (MPH). Prostatitis is characterized by often urination, burning sensation while urinating, fever or tedium. It may happen due to inflammation caused by bacterial infection. In case there is no bacterial infection found, there is a possibility of nonbacterial prostatitis.

In BPH the prostate gland enlarges and squeezes the urethra. As the urine from the urinary bladder travels though urethra, this might cause high pressure on urinary bladder. Symptoms of BPH are frequent urination, sudden high bladder pressure and urgent need to urinate. It might wake you many when you are asleep, you will feel high pressure to urinate however you have to wait to start urinating. The urine stream gets weak, quantity of urine decreases, feeling the pressure even after urinating, dribbling urine or blood in urine.

Prostatitis is not a very serious illness and can be treated with medication like alpha-blocker that relaxes the prostate muscles. Prostatitis mostly occurs in men younger than 50 years however BPH or MPH occurs in men older than 50 years. BPH may cause urinary tract infection, difficulty in urinating or constant urination can also damage the kidney

MPH is cancerous in nature and happens due to uncontrolled growth of cells in prostate gland. Since the early symptoms of BPH and MPH are same, you should always consult a doctor to examine and identify the disease. Correct diagnosis with correct treatment will help in early detection and treatment of the disease.

Treatment

There are medicines available to treat the disease. Other treatment includes surgical and non surgical methods. Available medicines shrink or contract the prostate and prevent it from blocking the urinary tract. Non surgical procedures or sometimes termed as transurethral procedures includes reaching the prostate with the help of small tubes and then heating the affected region. Few of the transurethral procedures are photo-selective vaporization of the prostate (PVP), transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP), transurethral microwave therapy (TUMT) and transurethral needle ablation (TUNA).

Surgical treatment includes removing a piece of prostate either through urethra or in open surgery. In case the prostate Is very large the open surgery is performed by making an incision above the penis. If the size of prostate is not very large a surgery called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is performed. Both the surgeries require general anesthesia.

In extreme case when the patient is diagnosed with MPH, the doctor may advise to remove the prostate to stop the cancer from spreading.

Side effects of treatment

Surgical or nonsurgical procedures may affect the sexual function, reverse ejaculation, loss of bladder control and dribbling or urine leakage. Most of the post treatment prostate symptoms can be treated and can be fully reversed in less than a year

This question is basically for Physicians and Surgeons or anyone who has gone through this ailment. I have a benign enlarged prostate. Is there a laser treatment that would shrink the enlarged prostate, without open surgery?

Medical Tourism is a fascinating new trend that sees people leaving the UK to receive medical treatment overseas. Luxury service and period of recuperation in the sun are two of the factors that are encouraging an increasing number of Brits to have their elective surgery abroad. In 2006 50,000 Britons travelled abroad for low cost medical treatment. For people looking to have private surgery, travelling abroad can save a considerable amount of money. Consumers can save up to 80% by going abroad for surgery and these savings are often enough to finance a relaxing break. So what types of overseas medical treatment are available and how much does medical treatment abroad cost?

Treatment available

One company offers a service that provides treatment in a private hospital in Malta. The treatments available cover a wide variety of clinical and cosmetic surgery packages. Clinical packages include procedures in General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Cardiology, Urology, Gynaecology and Ophthalmology. The company offers total hip replacements, total knee replacements, TURP prostate surgery, Total Abdominal Hysterectomy surgery, Hernia operations, Varicose Vein removals as well as Cataract removal and lens implant surgery.

The cosmetic services on offer include nose reshaping, a tummy tuck, liposculpture, prominent ear correction, breast augmentation, face lifts, Botox treatment, endermologie, lip augmentation, dermal fillers and laser hair removal.

Private Dental treatment abroad has also become more popular. This is reputedly due to the rising costs of dentistry in the UK. Customers are heading to Europe for savings on crowns, bridges, dental implants and cosmetic dentistry.

Cost of treatment

The cost of treatment includes all clinical costs, including the cost of hospital and Doctors fees, as well as all the necessary drugs, x-rays and implants. It includes transfers from the airport and hotel accommodation before and after treatment. The cost also includes post-operative care including food and rehabilitation care. It also includes 7 days drugs supply on discharge from hospital care. A total hip replacement will cost around GBP6300 as does a total knee replacement. TURP prostate surgery will cost around GBP2700 with total abdominal Hysterectomy surgery costing GBP3525. Hernia operations cost GBP1900 for unilateral or GBP2670 for bilateral. Varicose Vein removals are either GBP1570 or GBP2620 depending on whether they are unilateral or bilateral.

Cosmetic treatments range between GBP4102 for a facelift, neck lift and 4 eyelids to GBP2489 for Breast Augmentation 9which includes the implants). Abdominoplasty and Liposculture will cost around GBP2876 and includes advice on diet and fitness.

Dental work is offered in a number of countries and there are websites that will help you compare prices to the British equivalent. Wisdom tooth extraction will cost you around GBP425 in the UK but a trip to have it done in Croatia can cost as little as GBP206. Having dental implants in Italy can save 50%. The typical price from a UK private dentist is GBP2000 whilst the same procedure done in Italy (including fees, travel and accommodation expenses) will cost around GBP931. A trip to Hungary for porcelain bonded crowns will cost you GBP570, 24% less than the GBP750 you expect to pay in the UK.

Cancer Research Technology has signed a deal to provide biotech company ValiRx plc with the global rights to develop a promising compound to treat hormone-resistant prostate cancer. The compound, now called VAL 201, has been shown in pre-clinical tests in mice to stop growth of tumours which have been unresponsive to hormone treatments…

View full post on Prostate / Prostate Cancer News From Medical News Today

Having prostate problems is one that many men dread and fear.  Not only do they equate this type of condition with old age and being past one’s prime, they know too that it can result in pain, problems urinating, and even impotence in some cases.  Also, the exam that one must go through to check the gland is very unpleasant and downright embarrassing!

This doesn’t mean that any man should just ignore this problem.  It’s important to do everything you can to keep the prostate healthy so as to forego these problems as much as possible.

While prostate problems are common in men, very few even know what this gland is for and what its healthy function is.  This gland surrounds the top part of the urethra, which is the tube that drains urine from the bladder.  Its function is to keep the urethra moist which aids in urination, and it also produces seminal fluid to transport sperm.  In adult males it is typically about the size of a walnut, but its enlargement is what causes problems in men.  As a matter of fact, about 43% of men over the age of 60 have an enlarged prostate gland.  Non cancerous enlargement of the prostate is a common problem and it is not clear exactly what the cause is.  It is believed that a hormonal change among older men is a major factor.  Biopsies of enlarged prostates have shown extraordinarily high cholesterol content.

It’s true that you can’t always do something about whether or not this gland becomes enlarged, you can do many things to keep yourself healthy overall and address the common reasons for an enlarged prostate.  For instance, many believe that the antioxidant agents in green tea and berries help to fight off the free radicals that destroy healthy cells.  Also, some doctors are finding out that regular ejaculations on the man’s part seem to “exercise” the prostate and ward off some forms of cancer and cases of enlargement – good news for men who are looking for yet another reason to enjoy a healthy sex life!

Saw palmetto is an herb that many believe helps to shrink an enlarged prostate; it is thought to work by breaking down the testosterone that works to feed this gland.  Saw Palmetto extract is widely used in Europe and is currently the subject of extensive study for improving prostate health.

Zinc is required for male sexual maturity and fertility depends on it.  Zinc also has a profound influence on the body’s ability to resist disease.  Lycopene is also the most abundant carotene in the prostate tissues and is needed for normal prostate functioning.

It’s also thought that heat applied to this region can reduce the enlargement, although a regular heating pad or hot bath doesn’t seem to quite reach this gland.  Heat involves microwave or laser therapy.

In some extreme cases medical intervention and even surgery may be necessary.  Ignoring an enlarged prostate can lead to kidney infections, impotence, and cancer.  Many surgeries are considered major and require time off from work, but most doctors can recommend other treatment options since these are so invasive.  Every man over 40 should have regular exams so as to avoid prostate problems in the future and avoid letting the condition become so severe that only surgery can correct the problem.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and not to be construed as medical advice.

Rutgers researchers are developing methods that can accurately assess the severity of prostate cancer by analyzing magnetic resonance images and spectra of a patient’s prostate gland…

View full post on Prostate / Prostate Cancer News From Medical News Today

Mention a prostate exam to any man and he’ll likely cringe. The last thing a man wants to hear about his body is that he has prostate problems. As many as 80 percent of men have an enlarged prostate. Most men will experience prostate pain at some point in their lives, and aging increases the risk of having prostate problems.

Prostate cancer falls only behind skin cancer as the leading type of cancer in the United States. Prostate cancer is responsible for the deaths of 500,000 men in the U.S. each year. While the numbers are startling, relatively few men get help for urinary or prostate problems. They suffer in silence. Beyond the embarrassment of having their prostate checked, many men believe that problems with the bladder are just a normal part of aging.

Men don’t feel comfortable talking to their doctors about prostate problems. Yet, early detection and prevention are best for long-term health. A health screening is a simple step that all men need to take seriously. Urination problems need to be addressed quickly since they can be very painful and are often the first sign of a more serious problem.

What the Prostate Does

The prostate’s job is to hold and release semen. Semen is the alkaline fluid that neutralizes the acidity of the vagina, thereby making it easier for sperm to reach their destination. A healthy prostate requires the right balance of androgens (male hormones). As men age, their hormonal balance changes and they use the fluids less often. Unused fluids in the prostate will harden.

If the prostate is inflamed, it can cause a painfully enlarged prostate, prostatitis or prostate cancer. When testosterone, the male hormone, is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), it can lead to prostate cancer or enlargement.

Ending Prostate Problems

There are a few ways to end prostate problems. One option is having surgery to correct the problem. This should be used as a last resort after exploring more natural and less invasive choices. Second, there are heated laser treatments available to ease an enlarged prostate. While this is a less invasive option than prostate surgery, it can be costly and time consuming. Third, there is the option of prostate massage. There are devices sold for just this purpose. They are said to release build up fluids to provide relief from prostate pain.

There is another method for relieving prostate problems, though. It includes making healthy lifestyle choices and including avena sativa in your diet.

Avena Sativa Ends Prostate Problems

Avena sativa is a cooked seed used in cereals and flour. It can also be sprouted and used in salads and sandwiches. It is rich in silicon, manganese, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and Vitamins A, B1, B2 and E. It is an oat complex for men that support prostate health in a natural way. It actually shrinks an enlarged prostate. Used in conjunction with a healthy diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle in general, it can greatly improve the health of the prostate.

The keys to ending prostate problems are eat healthy and limit dairy intake; incorporate exercise into your daily routine; reduce stress; and add an avena sativa supplement to your diet. Getting into a healthy routine will ease the pain of an enlarged prostate and prevent prostate problems in the future.