Use of a semiconductor diode laser in laser prostatectomy

摘要

The gold standard surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Over the past few years, TURP has been challenged by laser prostatectomy, a technique that offered many advantages including minimal bleeding, short hospital stay, no fluid absorption, rapid learning curve and better change to preserve antegrade ejaculation. Laser prostatectomy can be done by vaporizing or coagulating prostatic tissue and more recently by using a combination of both: The hybrid technique Nd:YAG lasers have been used, (coupled with contact tips or with side firing or even bare fibers) to either coagulate or vaporize prostatic tissue. Recently semiconductor diode lasers have become available and offer certain advantages. They are compact portable units with no need for water cooling, yet they have sufficient power for tissue vaporization. Diomed (Cambridge, U.K.), produces a 60 W gallium aluminum arsenide semiconductor diode laser emitting at 810 nm. We report the first clinical experience using a semiconductor diode laser for prostates using a combination of contact tip and sidefiring.