California man finds experienced Christiana Care doctor on the internet
When doctors at Stanford University Medical Center recommended that Elmer Sanborn of Lake Tahoe, CA, have surgery to relieve the progressive enlargement of his prostate, he did what many people these days are doing.
He searched the Internet for other options.
Sanborn's Web surfing led him to Wilmington urologist Peter J. Muench, M.D., who offers photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP), a procedure most urologists agree removes more tissue with less scarring, and is the new standard for treating benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). After contacting Dr. Muench, who has performed more than 250 PVPs since the breakthrough procedure was introduced two years ago, Sanborn decided it would be worth the trip to Delaware for treatment by Muench in Christiana Hospital's main OR on Jan. 19.
The PVP procedure is offered at both the Christiana and Roxana Cannon Arsht surgicenters, according to Bruce Benge, M.D., Christiana Care's chief of Urologic Surgery. 'All of our staff urologists are performing the procedure,' he says.
Conventional treatments considered
Sanborn's BPH symptoms dated to 2002 when he began experiencing urination problems, according to Dr. Muench. An ultrasound revealed the non-cancerous enlargement, and initially it was treated with medications. But last year, Sanborn underwent a cystoscopy at Stanford University Medical Center, which indicated further significant enlargement. The Stanford urologists recommended conventional treatment: transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), which uses electricity to remove all or part of the enlarged prostate.
'PVP is much better suited to treat enlarged prostates than conventional TURP,' says Dr. Muench. 'Electricity used in TURP passes through tissues, destroying them, which accounts for a much higher incidence of post-operative scarring than that which occurs during PVP.'
In contrast, PVP's light energy only penetrates two to three millimeters, which makes postoperative scarring extremely rare, Muench explains. PVP provides other substantial benefits as well.
'The laser can remove more tissue, more quickly, and with virtually no post-operative bleeding or other side effects,' says Dr. Muench. 'It's better than TURP, as it's a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure with a much shorter recovery period.'
'PVP precisely targets and vaporizes prostate tissue, removes obstructions and makes an open channel for urination, leading to almost immediate relief,' he says.
Remarkable improvement
By the time Sanborn came to Christiana Hospital for his procedure, his prostate size had increased to 80 grams (30 grams is considered normal). He was discharged after a 23-hour postoperative stay. His improvement was immediate and remarkable. One week after his procedure, Sanborn had experienced dramatically improved symptoms, which allowed him to stop all his past prostate medications.
Dr. Muench points out that PVP has already virtually replaced TURP as the standard treatment for BPH. 'Practically everyone who could benefit from a TURP would be better served having a PVP instead.'
Back in Lake Tahoe, Sanborn was not only ecstatic about his improvement; he was highly complimentary of the care he received. 'It was just a really positive experience,' he said. '[Coming to Delaware for treatment] was the best decision I ever made. I've been to many excellent hospitals in my life, but I think Christiana Care is the finest. Everyone was so nice and so professional.'
