Noncontact sidefire laser ablation of the prostate

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Laser Medicine
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in aging men.
• Current BPH treatments have varying efficacy and side effect profiles.
• Minimally invasive therapies are sought to reduce patient morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of Neodymium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet (Nd:YAG) noncontact sidefiring laser fiber ablation for BPH.
• To assess the durability of treatment outcomes at 12 and 24 months post-procedure.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 198 patients with BPH treated with Nd:YAG laser ablation (60 W/60 seconds) were followed.
• Long-term evaluation included 74 patients at 12 and 24 months.
• Outcomes assessed via American Urological Association (AUA) Symptom Scores, peak uroflow rates (Qmax), and postvoiding residual urine volumes.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in AUA Symptom Scores, Qmax, and postvoiding residual urine volumes.
• Sustained reductions in symptom scores and maintained improvements in flow rates and residual volumes were noted at 12 and 24 months.
• Complications included recurrent obstructive symptoms (16), urinary tract infections (3), bladder neck stenosis (2), clot retention requiring transfusion (4), and epididymoorchitis (3).

Conclusions:

• Nd:YAG laser ablation is a safe and clinically applicable treatment for BPH.
• The procedure demonstrates potential as a less invasive therapeutic option for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
• Long-term follow-up confirms sustained efficacy and acceptable complication rates.