Solutions For Your Condition
The Urology Clinic at CHI St. Alexius includes four providers who can diagnose and treat urological concerns in men, women, and children. Our urologists specialize in treating conditions that affect the kidneys, bladder, prostate, and genitals. Common conditions treated include: cancers of the prostate, testicles, kidneys, or bladder, kidney stones, difficulty with urination and erectile dysfunction.
Hearing Your Concerns
Urologists at CHI St. Alexius are available to discuss your urologic concerns, perform preventative exams including prostate cancer screening, and discuss effective treatments for all conditions. They offer minimally invasive surgical options including da Vinci Robotic-Assisted surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and HoLEP (Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate).
Areas of specialty
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
- Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) for enlarged prostates
- Robotic surgery for prostate and kidney cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney stones
- Pediatric urology
Benign (non-cancerous) enlargement of the prostate affects many men as they age. Bothersome symptoms include reduced urinary stream, intermittent stream, urinary frequency and urgency, nighttime urination, blood in the urine, and occasionally an inability to urinate.
Evaluation
To determine the proper treatment for you, our Urologists will employ a few tests to define the severity of your symptoms. Testing generally includes a questionnaire to assess the degree of your symptoms, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test to screen for prostate cancer, bladder scan to measure how much urine you retain after voiding, cystoscopy to look inside your bladder, and an ultrasound to measure the size of your prostate. After testing is complete, your Urologist will discuss potential treatment options with you.
Treatments
- Some men require no treatment at all and their symptoms can be monitored
- Medications to relax or shrink the prostate
- Surgical options
- TURP – Transurethral resection of the prostate
- HoLEP – Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate
HoLEP is an advanced treatment option for men with enlarged prostates. CHI St. Alexius is proud to be the only hospital in the state that offers this minimally invasive treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). HoLEP utilizes a state-of-the-art laser to remove nearly the entire prostate gland leaving only a thin capsule behind. This provides maximum improvement in urinary stream, bladder emptying, urinary frequency/urgency, and nighttime urination. The procedure is done in a minimally invasive fashion, without incisions, and causes minimal pain.
Benefits of HoLEP
- Early symptom relief and fast return to normal activity
- Effective in catheter dependent men
- Treatment of any size prostate gland
- Minimal time with a catheter
- Less blood loss
- Shortest hospital stay (0-1 day)
- Lowest rate of retreatment
Why have I not heard of HoLEP?
Due to the steep learning curve and need for specialized training, HoLEP is not offered by the vast majority of Urologists in the nation. A limited number of academic centers across the nation offer the procedure (Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt, Indiana University). CHI St. Alexius Health is proud to have Dr. Charchenko offer HoLEP to those patients in need throughout the region.
Dr. Charchenko completed a six month fellowship in HoLEP and robotic surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery
CHI St. Alexius Urology boasts the latest, and regions only, da Vinci XI robot. The robotic platform allows previously invasive surgeries to be performed in a minimally invasive fashion using cameras and small incisions in the skin.
Benefits of robotic-assisted surgery
- Smaller incisions and less postoperative pain
- Shorter hospital stay
- Decreased blood loss
- Lower risk of complications
- Fewer days with a catheter (robotic prostatectomy)
- Faster return of sexual and urinary function (robotic prostatectomy)
- Equal cure rates compared to the traditional procedure
What surgeries can be performed robotically?
Our Urologists will have a thorough discussion with you regarding your candidacy for robotic surgery. Most urologic procedures can be performed robotically, but occasionally an alternative technique may be preferred.
