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Enlarged Prostate Laser Surgery Complications

An enlarged prostate is an ailment that plagues many men as they grow older. Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, an enlarged prostate is a non-cancerous condition that blocks the urethra, which affects the body's ability to pass urine. Statistically, this ailment begins affecting men around age 50 and becomes more common in men between 70 and 80 years old.

  1. Interstitial Laser Therapy

    • Interstitial laser therapy is a minimally invasive surgery that corrects the urinary symptoms that are caused by an enlarged prostate. During this procedure, a fiber-optic tube is inserted through the penis that directs laser energy to the enlarged prostate and destroys the cells that are blocking the flow of urine.

    Benefits of Interstitial Laser Therapy

    • This type of enlarged prostate surgery is especially beneficial for men who have no larger than a moderately-enlarged prostate. This surgery directly corrects the uncomfortable urinary symptoms that an enlarged prostate causes, such as the frequent need to urinate, an increased frequency of urination at night, the lack of continuous flow during urination and the feeling that the bladder is not completely empty.

      Interstitial laser surgery is also a good option for men who take blood thinners or have a blood disorder that makes it difficult for their blood to clot because this procedure doesn't cause any blood loss.

    Urinary Retention and Tract Infection

    • Interstitial laser surgery poses more immediate complications than long-term in comparison to other methods of enlarged prostate correction. Urinary retention may occur, which is essentially the inability to urinate. This could mean a tube needs to be inserted into the penis to drain urine from the body.

      This type of procedure also leaves the patient more prone to a urinary tract infection after the procedure.

    Need for a Second Treatment

    • The need for a second treatment is likely for some men because the symptoms of an enlarged prostate are not sufficiently alleviated or they return over time. Your doctor may choose to perform interstitial laser therapy a second time or opt to perform another form of corrective surgery.

    Retrograde Ejaculation and Erectile Problems

    • Interstitial laser therapy poses a risk for retrograde ejaculation, which is when semen flows backward into the bladder during ejaculation. However, this is not a painful or harmful experience and simply means you will see little or no semen when you ejaculate.

      There is also a slight risk of erectile problems associated with this procedure, mainly the inability to maintain an erection while having sex.

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