BPH Laser Treatment

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is another term for enlargement of the prostate. This gland, which is responsible for semen production, sits right below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, the tube that passes urine from the bladder through the penis. When the prostate enlarges, it puts pressure on the urethra that can cause disruptions or changes in urine flow. Laser treatment is a modern option for treating some cases of BPH.

Non-Surgical Laser Treatments

• Laser treatment for BPH comes in several forms. Interstitial laser coagulation (ILC), also called interstitial laser therapy, is a form of treatment that uses laser energy to destroy excess tissue inside the prostate. If this approach is used, it will be done in an operating room under either local or general anesthetic. During the procedure, a cystoscope---a thin, lighted tube with a camera on one end---is inserted into the urethra, then punched directly through into the prostate gland. A laser fiber is then inserted through the cystoscope into the prostate tissue; once there, it is heated until it burns away a surrounding pocket of the tissue. This process is repeated several times at different locations inside the prostate until a sufficient reduction in the size of the gland is achieved.

  Another similar technique for treating BPH is called visual laser ablation of the prostate (VLAP). If you undergo this procedure, your treatment will be directed at the site of the pressure on the urethra, where a visually guided laser fiber will vaporize exterior prostate tissue.

  Recovery from these procedures typically takes one to two weeks, and you may pass a little blood in your urine for several days after treatment.

Surgical Laser Treatments

• Certain more serious symptoms of BPH indicate a need for surgical intervention. These include bladder stones, repeated bouts of urine retention, kidney damage from urine retention, bloody urine and frequent urinary infections. If you experience these signs, your doctor may recommend one of two laser surgeries. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) uses a special low-penetration, high-energy laser to destroy enlarged prostate tissue. Another technique, called photosensitive vaporization of the prostate (PVP), uses different equipment to gain a similar effect. Both of these procedures require the use of general or spinal anesthesia.

  Depending on the particulars of your laser surgery, you will be treated on either an inpatient or outpatient basis. If inpatient care is required, you will probably only need to stay overnight. Relief of your BPH symptoms is often profound after surgery. Typically, you will need a few weeks to recover before returning to strenuous work or sexual activity.

Potential Complications and Long-Term Effects

• Potential short-term side effects of treatment include painful urination that may last for weeks, as well as retrograde ejaculation (semen entering the bladder rather than exiting the urethra). Be aware that laser BPH treatment is too new to judge its long-term effectiveness. While your condition may be permanently improved, return of prostate enlargement is also a possibility.