Men suffering from symptoms of urinary retention or erectile dysfunction as a result of an enlarged prostate gland may opt to undergo one of several available laser procedures. Less invasive than traditional prostate surgery, laser procedures allow a surgeon to reduce the size of the prostate and open up the urinary channel without making any incisions into the skin. The size of the prostate generally dictates the best choice of laser procedure.
Holmium Laser Resection of the Prostate
Holmium laser resection was the first laser procedure developed to treat an enlarged prostate. During the procedure, the doctor inserts a laser into the penis and directs the high-energy beams to cut the prostate into smaller pieces. He then uses a special scope to remove each piece. According to 2009 information from MayoClinic.com, holmium laser resection of the prostate is rarely used anymore as more advanced laser techniques are available.
Holmium Laser Ablation of the Prostate
Holmium laser ablation of the prostate is a procedure in which surgeons use a laser to vaporize problematic prostate gland tissue. According to MayoClinic.com, the type of laser energy used in this procedure is highly absorptive in water; consequently, the prostate gland’s outer tissues quickly absorb the high-energy waves, keeping the laser from penetrating too deeply and unnecessarily damaging nearby cells. This allows surgeons to be more precise.
According to UrologyChannel.com, doctors usually reserve this type of laser procedure on small prostate glands that are smaller than 60 cubic centimeters. Compared to traditional, more invasive surgeries, holmium laser ablation usually causes less bleeding and results in a shorter recovery time.
Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate
Usually offered as a same-day surgical procedure performed in a hospital setting, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate involves the removal of targeted prostate gland tissue with a holmium laser--the same precise laser used in holmium laser ablation procedures. According to UrologyChannel.com, the size of the prostate usually dictates whether a patient receives holmium ablation or holmium laser enucleation, with men with small prostate glands usually receiving the former. While holmium laser enucleation generally results in shorter recovery time than traditional surgery, up to 15 percent of patients may develop temporary post-surgical stress incontinence as a complication.
Photosensitive Vaporization of the Prostate
Photosensitive, or photoselective, vaporization of the prostate is a minimally invasive laser procedure performed on an outpatient basis while the patient is under local or general anesthesia. During the procedure, doctors insert an endoscope--a long, thin tube that often has a light or video camera on one end--into the urethra, through which they deliver hot laser energy to destroy obstructive prostate gland tissue, according to UrologyChannel.com. This laser procedure typically produces immediate and lasting results and causes relatively fewer complications compared to other minimally invasive and traditional surgical techniques.
