Bipolar button-electrode plasma vaporization of the prostate: An effective option for patients with...

Urinary retention is a common urinary complication following brachytherapy for prostate cancer. When conservative therapy has failed, surgical intervention, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), is performed. In the present case, it was found that conventional bipolar TURP was an inappropriate choice of therapy, since the electrical loop could easily rupture and discharge sparks when encountering the seeds intraoperatively; however, bipolar button-electrode plasma vaporization of the prostate was proven to be a much safer technique. The 'button-type' electrode, which has a larger contacting surface, was firm enough to tolerate the transient high levels of energy generated by the short circuit and enable the safe completion of the procedure.