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photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP)
Indications:
- benign prostatic hypertrophy with moderate to severe symptoms not responsive to medical therapy with:
- 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (finasteride), OR
- alpha-adrenergic antagonist (tamsulosin, terazosin)
Procedure:
Interior of the prostate is vaporized using Laserscope's greenlight laser.
1) outpatient procedure under local anesthesia
2) procedure takes 20-50 minutes
3) high-powered laser is introduced through a fiber to vaporize prostate tissue
4) urethral obstruction is cleared with minimal blood loss
Advantages:
1) most patients go home the same day, the remainder are discharged the following morning
2) significantly less bleeding than TURP
3) indwelling cateters can be remove the same or following day in virtually all patients
4) lower risk of incontinence than TURP
Complications:
- retrograde ejaculation (not associated with impotence)
Related
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
General
prostatectomy
References
- Clinical Update, UCLA Healthcare 09/04 1-800-825-2888