– Please, introduce yourself.
– My name is Dr. Thierry Guetta. I am a urological surgeon and an andrologist in Paris, now practicing in Neuilly.
– Tell us, please, where did you get your experience?
– I am a former intern of Paris hospitals, a former Head of the Urology Department at Cochin Hospital. In 2008 together with my colleagues, we formed Paris Urological Centre, where I have been working up till now. I perform surgeries in Neuilly clinic and in the American Hospital of Paris.
– What urological problems do you mostly work on?
– Urology deals with diseases of urinary organs in females and males. This direction in medicine is rather extensive and complex and includes surgery and treatment itself. The most common problems are kidney cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, prostate cancer, different kinds of infections, kidney stones and even pediatric urology, which is very delicate in itself.
– What kinds of cancers are most common in urology?
– They are kidney, bladder and testicular cancers, but the undoubted leader among oncological diseases is prostate cancer. Very often prostate cancer is considered not too dangerous, however, it kills thousands of men daily.
– How to prevent this disease?
– As I’ve already said, this kind of cancer is rather hazardous, so it’s very important to see a doctor when the first symptoms of the disease appear. However, if there are no symptoms, but your dad, grandad or your brother had prostate cancer, you should undergo screening on a regular basis in order to avoid complex long-term treatment.
– What are the options for treatment?
– From the moment the oncology is detected, it is required to choose the appropriate treatment. A non-aggressive tumor may be just monitored and not treated at all, it is common practice. If it is a late-stage and an aggressive tumor the options for treatment will be surgery or radiotherapy and telecurietherapy.
As for surgery, it is called prostatectomy and it implies prostate removal. Well-performed surgery increases the chances of recovery, but like any intervention, it may cause some side effects.
– How to avoid side effects?
– As I have already explained, prostatectomy can cause some side effects, such as bed-wetting and erection problems. No matter how experienced the surgeon is, it is impossible to prevent all the consequences after surgery. However, it is worth mentioning that medicine is constantly evolving and traditional surgery has changed into laparoscopy and robotic surgery, which minimizes post-operation risks.
– Which treatment is required in case of kidney cancer?
– In the case of kidney cancer, surgical treatment is required. Earlier the diseased kidney was entirely removed, but now thanks to robotic surgery it is possible to remove only the tumor itself. It is a real medical breakthrough.
– What would you recommend to your patients?
– First of all, cancer is a very serious disease, but urological oncology can be cured. It’s very important to identify the disease in its early stages. Do regular medical check-ups and consult doctors. France is rich in qualified medical specialists in this sphere. Consult your doctor, consult your urologist!
