Patient Blood Management and Urology Issues
An Interview with Jeffrey Cohen, MD
Patients who want to decrease blood transfusions can look to UPMC Passavant for skilled and compassionate care for their urological needs.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been the largest group to seek care without transfusions, but other persons prefer to avoid transfusions for religious reasons, ethical concerns, or out of concern for blood safety.
Jeffrey Cohen, MD, a urologist at UPMC Passavant and president of Triangle Urological Group, has treated numerous patients for conditions of the kidney, bladder, and prostate. He has been doing so for more than 10 years.
A commitment to reducing surgical blood loss
Dr. Cohen notes that Triangle Urologic Group has a commitment to providing the best care available to all patients, which includes decreasing surgical blood loss in all of their patients.
“We want all of our patients to have the best possible outcomes. Our outcome analysis has consistently demonstrated that patients achieve better outcomes by decreasing surgical blood loss and the length of surgery,” says Dr. Cohen.
“We, therefore, advance techniques that decrease blood loss, which results in the overwhelming majority of our patients not receiving blood.”
For those patients who cannot be transfused, Dr. Cohen also sets up blood salvaging equipment to mitigate blood loss.
“All medical and surgical options are available to our bloodless medicine patients,” says Dr. Cohen.
“With our team approach, we are confident in our ability to care for all patients."
Could I have an enlarged prostate?
Frequent urination may be a symptom of enlarged prostate, also called benign prostate hyperplasia, or BPH.
Only a doctor can diagnose the cause of a person’s frequent urination, which may be a symptom of other conditions.
According to Dr. Cohen:
“Some patients find it difficult to discuss this symptom with their doctor. They may find it embarrassing or have fears about treatments to address its cause."
"As a result, they unnecessarily experience interrupted sleep and other inconveniences for many months — or even years — before finally seeking treatment.”
Treatments of enlarged prostate include the use of medications or minimally invasive surgery.
“Often, such surgery does not even require a hospital stay. After surgery, patients often say they wish they had sought treatment sooner,” says Dr. Cohen.
Make an appointment
For an evaluation of your symptoms, or to make an appointment with Dr. Cohen for your urological needs, contact the coordinators at The Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at UPMC.