Laser Prostatic Surgery: An Update

Abstract

This review presents an overview of the current state of the art of laser prostatic surgery. Several types of lasers have been used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) over the past 15 years. Vaporization techniques have recently gained popularity and have been widely accepted by many urologists. Short-term results show that vaporization of a prostatic adenoma with higher-power potassium titanyl phosphate and holmium lasers is safe and effective in the treatment of symptomatic BPH. However, well designed randomized comparative trials with long-term follow-up are still needed. Holmium laser is a multi-purpose surgical tool and has multiple applications in urology. In the treatment of symptomatic BPH, holmium laser can be used in ablation, resection and enucleation of the prostate. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is the most investigated laser procedure used in the treatment of symptomatic BPH. Several randomized controlled trails confi rmed the safety, effi cacy, and durability of HoLEP regardless of the prostate size.

African Journal of Urology Vol. 14 (1) 2008: pp. 1-14