“Best in the World” BPH Surgery Right Here in Thunder Bay
Published Monday, November 2, 2020
Urologists Dr. Hazem Elmansy (left) and Dr. Walid Shahrour are recognized internationally as experts their field. Thanks to donors who made possible the purchase of a new Lumenis MOSES laser here in Thunder Bay, Drs. Elmansy and Shahrour will be able to offer less invasive surgery for both enlarged prostates and kidney stones, providing faster and safer treatment.
by Graham Strong
Later this fall, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will become the only hospital in Ontario and just the second site in Canada to offer the Lumenis MOSES laser treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. The new treatment options will result in faster, safer treatment with a lower risk of side effects and faster recovery.
BPH is the enlargement of the prostate that can cause serious side effects including urinary tract blockages and incontinence. Traditionally, open surgery is the only treatment for severe cases. However, this type of surgery carries a high risk of side effects including bleeding, blood transfusion, and increased hospital stay.
The new minimally invasive MOSES laser surgery reduces those risks, especially in the most severe cases. It can be used in two different ways depending on the size of the prostate.
“With smaller prostates (up to 80g), we can use the MOSES laser to simply vaporize the tissue,” urology surgeon Dr. Hazem Elmansy said. “For larger prostates, we use the HoLEP technique.”
The Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) technique cuts the tissue into smaller pieces rather than vaporizing it. Another device is used to remove that tissue after the cuts have been made. The laser helps the cuts coagulate faster to reduce bleeding.
Overall, these improvements result in a safer treatment with shorter operations, recovery time, and hospital stays. With traditional surgery, patients usually spend two to four days in hospital recovering.
“Using the MOSES laser, our patients can go home the same day with zero pain and with an earlier return to work,” said Dr. Elmansy.
The laser will also be used as a faster, safer treatment for kidney stones.
Dr. Elmansy and his colleague Dr. Walid Shahrour are advancing Thunder Bay’s Urology program through innovative research and surgical techniques.
“We get patients from all over the country,” Dr. Shahrour said. He compared it to patients from Thunder Bay travelling to southern Ontario for certain treatments.
In late 2019, Dr. Shahrour performed the world’s first reconstructive surgery to reduce urinary tract blockages after prostate cancer treatment. Both he and Dr. Elmansy are recognized as experts in their fields. Their goal is to improve urological care for patients in Northwestern Ontario.
“Thunder Bay is one of the pioneers in Canada,” Dr. Elmansy said. “We deserve this level of service here.”
That level of outstanding service is also thanks to our generous donors. Your support of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation will help provide cutting-edge urology care for patients here, and fund research to help patients everywhere. To make your donation, please visit: healthsciencesfoundation.ca/urology