Prostate vaporization with XPS Green Laser (GreenLight) is a safe technique with minimal bleeding, few complications and immediate results.
The green laser is a technique with several applications, and one of them is precisely the performance of a photovaporization of the prostate, that is, the surgery responsible for removing the adenoma (benign prostate tissue) that would be preventing adequate urination in the male who has this problem.
The advantages of the green laser
“It is true that all roads lead to Rome but if possible it is better to go by a private and comfortable flight than by car”. What does this mean?
Well, it is very easy, all urologists know that a well performed prostate operation will leave the patient urinating well and free of the obstruction caused by the obstruction of the adenoma. And the best way to practice it is with the green laser.
The great advantage of the green laser is that it offers the same results as conventional TUR but with very few complications. It is indicated in all those patients with adenoma or benign prostatic hyperplasia well documented, with poor quality of life derived from a lack of efficacy of the prescribed medication or the adverse effects derived from the same accompanied by an increase in prostate size and a weak urinary flow with low strength.
How is a conventional TUR (transurethral resection of the prostate) performed?
The results are very good in one way or another but the classic TUR of the prostate is more uncomfortable for the patient, may cause bleeding and a greater number of complications.
One of the most important is bleeding during TUR, which makes it necessary to use a series of pressurized liquids during this procedure, such as 5% Glycine or washing serum, which is used to eliminate the blood that hinders vision during surgery and sometimes delays the technique.
These liquids are sometimes absorbed by the same venous vessels that bleed, producing, in some patients, analytical alterations and volume overload in the heart.
Likewise, both the heat generated by the electroscalpel in conventional TUR of the prostate are responsible for lesions in the urethra due to the heat, producing a diathermy lesion and therefore a stenosis (narrowing) in the urethra months later after the surgery, which can cause a serious disorder and may even require new surgeries to solve them.
On the other hand, if bleeding is high during surgery, injuries to the sphincter may occur due to poor visualization, since this is in close contact with the prostate, which would lead to urinary incontinence, with continuous urine leakage after surgery.
Why choose the green laser?
Using the green laser (Green Light XPS):
- There is no blood loss.
- With the classic TUR the catheter is removed after 4-5 days which lengthens the hospital stay, with the Green Laser after 12-24 hours.
- Relief of obstructive symptoms is immediate after the technique.
- The results are maintained in the long term and it is not necessary to perform new surgeries on the prostate.
- Return to normal life after 2-3 days.
- There is no passage of electric current or generation of heat except at the tip of the laser fiber (which does not penetrate more than 1-2 millimeters), so there is no nerve injury and no impotence (impotence is less than 1%).
- The absence of heat and electricity, together with the smaller diameter of the instruments used for the laser, makes it possible to avoid the much feared urethral strictures (narrowing of the urethra) that could occur weeks after conventional TUR of the prostate.
Risks of the green laser
The risks are minimal.
- About 30-40% of the operated patients report retro-ejaculation or retrograde ejaculation. With conventional TUR the incidence is 80-90%. Less than 1% of patients report erection problems.
- In 10% of patients there is an irritative syndrome (increased frequency of urination, itching and urgency) which disappears after a few days with the necessary post-operative treatment.
- About 5% of patients report blood in the urine with urination but this does not require any action by the urologist and disappears in a few days.
What does the postoperative period consist of?
The preparation is very simple. The patient can be admitted fasting on the same day of surgery and preoperative and then undergo the intervention, which usually lasts 1 to 2 hours. At the end of the procedure, a 20-22 ch caliber catheter (three-way) is left in place and is removed in about 12-24 hours after surgery so that the patient can be at home 24 hours after the operation after verifying that he/she is urinating spontaneously without any problems.