Dr. Lewis Kriteman, Urologist at North Fulton Regional Hospital

    The week of June 11 through the 17 is National Men’s Health Week, the perfect opportunity for men everywhere to take charge of their health.  North Fulton Regional Hospital offers specialized services and procedures dedicated to men’s health and well-being. 

    Many men suffer from noncancerous enlargement of the prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).  It is a common condition that traditionally has been treated surgically through transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), but as time has progressed, so has the treatment of BPH.

    North Fulton Regional Hospital offers an alternative to TURP.  The Greenlight PVP (photoselective vaporization of the prostate) offers a treatment option by combining the effectiveness of TURP with the added comfort of the minimally invasive heat treatments.

    “Greenlight PVP involves inserting a thin laser fiber into the urethra through a cystoscope,” said Dr. Kriteman, a urologist on staff at North Fulton Regional Hospital.  “The  fiber emits a high-powered laser that immediately vaporizes the targeted prostate tissue.  It’s an outpatient procedure with little to no bleeding that offers similar results as previous surgical methods.”

    Furthermore, most patients go home the same day without the need for a catheter.  If a catheter is necessary, however, it is generally removed within 24 hours after treatment.   Natural urine flow is immediately restored and urinary problems are significantly improved.  “This is truly the next generation of minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic prostate enlargement.”

    Last year, North Fulton Regional Hospital treated 56 patients with the Greenlight PVP procedure; Dr. Kriteman estimates, however, the number of men who could benefit from it to be much higher.

    “Fifty percent of 50-year old men have BPH.  About 30 percent of those 50 percent are diagnosed, and of that 30 percent, only 10 percent seek treatment,” Dr. Kriteman said.  Many of these mean opt instead to take medication to treat symptoms.  Others choose the Greenlight PVP, which may be covered by Medicare.  Many patients who receive this treatment are able to stop taking their medications as the procedure itself is able to put a stop to symptoms.

    Dr. Kriteman is confident that the Greenlight PVP is setting a new standard in the treatment of BPH.  “I tell my patients, ‘You’re not going for surgery . . . this is a procedure.’”

    North Fulton Regional Hospital (NFRH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 167-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell.  Opened in 1983, NFRH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers.  NFRH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology. The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

    To learn more about North Fulton Regional Hospital and its medical staff, please call (770) 751-2600 or visit www.northfultonregional.com.