VISUAL LASER-ABLATION OF THE PROSTATE (VLAP) WITH BARE FIBER IN CONJUNCTION WITH LASER BLADDER NECK INCISION IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA (BPH)
Hma. Farsi et al., VISUAL LASER-ABLATION OF THE PROSTATE (VLAP) WITH BARE FIBER IN CONJUNCTION WITH LASER BLADDER NECK INCISION IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA (BPH), Annals of saudi medicine, 17(2), 1997, pp. 191-194
The objective of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of visual
laser ablation of the prostate (VLAP) using a bare fiber with simultan
eous laser incision of the bladder neck for patients with symptomatic
benign prostatic hyperplasia. Sixty-seven patients with symptomatic bl
adder outlet obstruction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia were ente
red into a prospective trial where VLAP was done with neodymium:YAG la
ser, while the bladder neck incision was done with KTP laser. The lase
r was delivered using a bare fiber. There was marked improvement demon
strated at three months post-lasing in symptom score and flow rate. No
significant changes were noticed in the subsequent follow-up. However
, the addition of the bladder neck incision increased the rate of retr
ograde ejaculation without appreciable improvement in symptom score or
flow rate when compared to other published data. None of the patients
developed bladder neck contracture. VLAP, using a ban fiber, in conju
nction with laser bladder neck incision, produces durable improvement
in urine flow rate and symptom score in patients with symptomatic beni
gn prostatic hyperplasia without the development of bladder neck contr
acture. This method will reduce the costs of laser prostatectomy.