Problems with urination, sudden urges to urinate, and a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen: an enlarged prostate can have unpleasant consequences. When Sven Lahme speaks about causes, symptoms, and treatment options during a video conference, more than 120 people listen attentively on Tuesday evening. Lahme is considered one of the most renowned experts in the field.

The professor is not only a specialist in urology but also the medical director of Goldstadt Privatklinik, where all diagnostic and therapeutic measures in the field of urology are offered. Lahme explains the function of the prostate, stating that it is part of the male reproductive system and lies below the bladder. When enlarged, it exerts pressure on the urethra, leading to problems with urination. Lahme refers to it as a "common ailment," affecting around 30 percent of men aged 60 to 69. However, it is not always associated with symptoms such as weakened urine flow, frequent urination, or the feeling of incomplete bladder emptying. And not every enlargement requires treatment. But if it does, there are medications available, including herbal ones. In some cases, only surgery helps. Lahme explains what is done during surgery using a sketch he draws with a pen on a sheet of paper. In conversation with PZ chief reporter Alexander Heilemann, the professor answers the most common questions. Heilemann wants to know how to notice a problem with the prostate, why it enlarges, and when to seek preventive care. Lahme presents medications, discusses the risks of surgery, and demonstrates what a stay at Goldstadt Privatklinik looks like: He gets up and goes to an examination room, where he and his colleague Holger Isensee simulate a consultation. He then demonstrates the process of ultrasound examination used to diagnose prostate enlargement. In the adjacent room, a nurse demonstrates the urine flow test using a watering can – an examination that can be performed additionally in individual cases, along with an endoscopic examination of the bladder. Then the production shifts to the operating area, where a nurse first demonstrates the patient's positioning on the operating table, before Joseph Anudu demonstrates the so-called "enucleation" of the prostate on a model, in which tissue is removed using an electric loop. Another surgical option is holmium laser enucleation, which Lahme explains afterward in the adjacent room. In this procedure, prostate tissue is detached from the prostate capsule using a laser and pushed into the bladder, from where it is subsequently removed. After a brief discussion on anesthesia methods, a nurse explains what happens after the operation: she shows one of the equipped patient rooms, all of which are air-conditioned and have their own bathroom. The attending senior physician at Goldstadt Privatklinik visits his patients up to four times a day, and they are served freshly prepared gourmet-quality meals.

Author: rol