Dm. Cromeens et al., VISUAL LASER-ABLATION OF THE CANINE PROSTATE WITH A DIFFUSING FIBER AND AN 805-NANOMETER DIODE-LASER, Lasers in surgery and medicine, 19(2), 1996, pp. 135-142
Background and Objective: Although the popularity of visual laser abla
tion of the prostate (VLAP) as a treatment for symptomatic, benign pro
static hyperplasia (BPH) is increasing, the perceived advantages of VL
AP over conventional transurethral electroresection of the prostate (T
URF) is being debated because optimal technique and dosimetry for surg
ical lasers are still being refined. At this time, the 1.06 neodymium:
yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser and a laterally deflecting deli
very system is the hardware combination most widely used for VLAP. Stu
dy Design/Materials and Methods: Reported here is a study of an altern
ate system, a 805-nm diode laser (Diomed 25(R) Diomedics, The Woodland
s, TX) with a cylindrically diffusing fiber (Surgimedics Inc., The Woo
dlands, TX). Eight mongrel dogs were prostatectomized by transurethral
irradiation of the prostate with 15,000 J of diode laser energy deliv
ered via a fiber that diffuses the energy in a 1.5-cm-long cylindrical
pattern. The dogs were sacrificed and prostates harvested at 3 hours
and 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 35, and 49 days after the procedure, fixed with 1
0% buffered formalin, and examined histologically. Results/Conclusions
: It was found that this laser/fiber combination created volumes of ti
ssue coagulation similar to those encountered in our previous work wit
h the Nd:YAG laser in combination with both laterally deflecting and d
iffuser fibers, while offering the distinct advantages of simplified t
echnique, lower cost hardware, and fewer postoperative complications i
n the dog model. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.