SIU Med School Offers Seminar on Enlarged Prostate Treatments

A free luncheon seminar about a treatment to help men suffering from symptoms of an enlarged prostate is being offered in July by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. It will be held at 12 p.m. Tuesday, July 12, at the Prairie Heart Conference Center at St. John's Hospital, 619 E. Mason Street, Springfield.

Dr. Jeff Karnes, assistant professor of urology at SIU, will present options for treatment of an enlarged prostate, including medication and a new minimally invasive in-office procedure.

"We are excited to offer this treatment option for men who have urinary tract symptoms that alter their lifestyle," Karnes said. "The transurethral needle ablation therapy, or TUNA therapy, uses precisely focused radio frequency energy to ablate prostate tissue. It allows the patient to be treated in the office, using local anesthesia."

The therapy can relieve many of the voiding symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), known as an enlarged prostate. The procedure is covered by Medicare as well as most commercial and managed care plans.

For more information, call Carol at 545-7133 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. A complimentary lunch is offered for those who register in advance although advance registration is not required.

-30-