New Apollo Hospitals announced the launch of its Holmium laser treatment at its unit at Bannerghatta Road on Wednesday.

The new 250 bed tertiary care super specialty hospital is the first hospital in the City to offer this mode of treatment for urological disorder.

According to Consultant urologist Dr Mohan Keshavamurthy laser TURP has been performed for the first time in the state. It’s the enhancement of standard procedure and it can be used on those patients with enlarged prostate gland and those suffering from kidney stones, he said.

Transplant surgeon in Apollo Group Dr Deepak Bolbandi said that laser PCNL (percutaneous Nephrolithotomy) was performed for the first time in South India. He said that use of Holmium lasers to treat kidney stones and other urological procedures is new in India. “The procedure is quickest, painless and most low-risk procedure,” he says.

The advantages of these procedures that there will be no bleeding and no complications related to fluid absorption unlike standard TURP. “Fragmentation of kidney stones is done in such a way that there will be minimal chance of recurrence,” Dr Keshavamurthy says, adding that the laser at Apollo hospitals are also used for spine discectomy, tonsillectomy and laparoscopic soft tissue resections.

Dr Umapathy Panyala, Chief Operating Officer of New Apollo Hospitals said that minimum cost for the laser surgery is Rs 35,000. “Enlargement of prostate gland and kidney stones are more common on the senior citizens. Normally, there is concession of 15 to 20 per cent for senior citizens ,” he adds.