According to the Ministry of Health, this is a first in Tunisia. On Friday, the Habib Thameur hospital hosted a unique medical experiment: three urology operations were carried out using the Thulium laser, an advanced technology still rarely available in North Africa.
Three operations followed live
During this day, Chinese specialists and several heads of departments from various Tunisian hospitals attended three interventions intended to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy and kidney stones.
The operations were broadcast live in an amphitheater, allowing the doctors present to follow each gesture and communicate in real time with the surgical team.
For many of them, it was their first contact with this minimally invasive approach, which is based on a laser capable of cutting and vaporizing tissue with millimeter precision.
A turning point for the hospital
At Habib Thameur, this day marks an important milestone: the establishment becomes the first Tunisian center to use the Thulium laser in real conditions.
This opens the way to new operating techniques that are less traumatic for patients, with reduced hospitalization time and milder after-effects.
What is the Thulium laser?
The Thulium laser is a surgical technology that appeared in the mid-2000s, first in urology. Its wavelength, close to 2000 nm, allows very low penetration into tissues and excellent coagulation, thus limiting bleeding during the procedure. Used in particular to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy and urinary stones, it became established during the 2010s with techniques such as laser prostatic enucleation (ThuLEP). Its use is gradually extending to other medical disciplines, such as gynecology, ENT and dermatology.
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