Objective: This study was performed to evaluate safety and efficacy of
laser prostatectomy in the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) vi
sual laser ablation of the prostate was performed in 43 patients (mean
age 66 +/- 11.5 years) with BPH. The mean prostatic volume was 44.7 /- 19.7 mi. A right-angle, side-firing laser fiber (Lasersonics Ultral
ine(R)) and a neodymium:YAG laser generator (Hercules 5060(R)) were us
ed. Results: There were no perioperative complications including hemor
rhage and transurethral reflux syndrome. The average postoperative hos
pital stay was 1.3 days, and the average urethral catheterization time
was 3.8 days. Thirty-two patients were evaluated 6 months after the o
peration. A significant improvement was found in the mean symptom scor
e from 21.8 +/- 7.6 to 8.3 +/- 6.9 (p < 0.001). A significant decrease
from 104.3 +/- 78 to 55.7 +/- 30 mi was found between the preoperativ
e and the postoperative mean residual urine volumes (p < 0.001). The m
ean peak flow rate increased from 8.7 +/- 3.9 to 16.1 +/- 2.4 ml/s (p
< 0.001), and the mean average flow rate increased from 4.9 +/- 2 to 1
0.2 +/- 2.9 ml/s (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our results indicate that la
ser prostatectomy is a promising alternative in the treatment of BPH.