Asiri Hospitals introduces stone laser treatment

Saturday, 27 November 2010 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Asiri Hospitals, the leading healthcare provider in Sri Lanka, introduced the latest addition to its Urology department, the MegaPulse stone laser. This state-of-the-art ureteroscope is passed through natural channels in the body and involves no skin incisions.

With this addition to the Urology Department at ASH, this hospital now becomes the most complete Urology unit in the country.

Asiri Surgical Hospital (ASH) Consultant Urologist Dr. Anura Wijewardane said, “This is one of the latest and safest forms of treatment for patients suffering from stones in the kidney. This method allows us to fragment the stones to minute particles through this laser. This is, in particular, perfect for hard stones that are resistant to external treatment.”

The outstanding features of the MegaPulse is the ability to vaporize tumors, the use of a combination of flexible instruments allowing easy access to any part of the urinary tract, automatic fibre detention, minimally invasive and the elimination of any strictures.

This procedure involves a special telescope passed through the urethra, bladder and into the ureter to the stone giving physicians more options to treat stones in the bladder, ureter and kidney. The telescope, which may be rigid or flexible, allows entry into all parts of the kidney so that all stones can be removed or vaporised provided they are of an appropriate size and accessible.

The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia and is minimally invasive and well tolerated by all patients.

The pioneer in India in flexible ureteroscopy, Dr. Pawan Gupta explained the procedure. According to him, this is the safest of all kidney stone operations that is available. With 12 years of experience, Dr. Gupta was carrying out this procedure at ASH with Dr. Wijewardena, bringing relief to almost six patients a day. Dr. Gupta explained that patients can go home after surgery within a couple of hours, making this not only the safest method but also the most cost effective.

Patients suffering from kidney stones often find this a recurring and painful ailment. The need for innovative and fast action for the treatment of kidney stones has been vital. This flexible or rigid form of laser treatment for the fragmentation of the stones is fast and causes minimal damage with immediate results.

Dr. Wijewardane said, “The introduction of this incredibly effective method in the removal of kidney stones will benefit surgeons, and ensure our patients have a speedier and more comfortable procedure experience and help prevent them from developing stones in the future. At ASH, we now have the gamut of expertise and equipment to deal with any stone of any size.”