Urology provider offering free
men's health seminar, screening
RANDOLPH, June 10, 2008 – Urology physician assistant Nancy Blessing will address a common medical condition affecting men – enlarged prostates – at a free seminar and prostate screenings on June 19 at the Gifford Health Center at Berlin.
Enlarged prostates, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), affect an estimated 14 million men in the United States, including some younger men, about half of men age 60 and older, and nearly all men by age 85.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located at the base of the male bladder and surrounding the urethra. The prostate grows to normal size in males’ teenage years and then begins to grow again around age 50. As the prostate enlarges, it can put pressure on the urethra, consequently causing urinary problems.
Men with enlarged prostates can experience frequent urination, getting up at night to urinate, sudden urges to go, difficult or painful urination, weak flows, or stopping and starting.
The good news for men, however, is that today there are many treatment options for BPH or its symptoms.
“BPH is treatable with medical therapy (medications) as well as with minimally-invasive surgery options,” Blessing says. “Men shouldn’t think that they have to live this. Symptoms are treatable, and it’s covered by Medicare and most private insurances.”
Treatments available at Gifford Medical Center where Blessing works include prescribing medications, an in-office heat treatment called TherMatrx, a minimally invasive laser treatment called GreenLight Laser Therapy and traditional surgery.
The surgical procedures, including the less invasive GreenLight, are done by urologist Dr. Michael Curtis at Gifford in Randolph. Blessing is available to do initial patient assessments, perform office procedures like the innovative TherMatrx, and do post-operative assessments in both Randolph and now – for the convenience of patients – at Gifford’s Berlin health center.
The GreenLight uses laser energy to remove enlarged prostate tissue, allowing urine to flow through the urethra. It is thought to be as effective as traditional prostate surgery, have fewer risks and doesn’t require an overnight stay in the hospital. The TherMatrx uses a catheter to apply heat to the prostate and is done right in the office setting (meaning no surgery).
Blessing recommends males suffering from urinary complaints, prostate enlargement or who are interested in the topic attend the 6 p.m. discussion to learn more. She’ll also discuss erectile dysfunction, and men in attendance who have not had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test in the last six months can have one for free. A PSA checks for protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland and can be one of the indicators of prostate cancer – the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Vermont men.
Attendance is limited to 20. Please call (802) 728-2470 to reserve a spot. The Gifford Health Center at Berlin is off from Airport Road at 82 East View Lane. For directions or more information about services available at the Gifford Health Center at Berlin, call (802) 229-2325.