Prostate Laser Surgery - Procedure and Risks

Introduction

The condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is characterized by an enlarged prostate, can be treated with prostate laser surgery to relieve mild to severe urine problems. The doctor will put a scope through the tip of the penis into the urethra, the tube that conducts pee from the bladder, during prostate laser surgery. The urethra is encircled by the prostate, which limits urine flow from the bladder when it is enlarged. Urine flow-obstructing prostate tissue can be shrunk or removed with energy from a laser that is sent via the scope.

What Is the Purpose of Prostate Laser Surgery?

Urinary symptoms brought on by BPH can be lessened with prostate laser surgery, including:

• Frequent and pressing urge to urinate.

• Difficulty beginning to urinate.

• Prolonged and sluggish urination.

• Increased frequency of nighttime urination.

• Pausing to urinate and then restarting.

• The sensation that the bladder will not be empty.

• Infections of the urinary tract.

In addition, laser surgery may be used to treat or avoid issues brought on by obstructed urine flow, such as:

• Urinary tract infections that come back.

• Damage to the kidneys or bladder.

• The incapacity to urinate at all or to control one's urination.

• Stones in the bladder.

• Urine with blood in it.

When compared to alternative BPH treatment options, laser surgery can provide several benefits. When taking medicine, it may take a few weeks to months before one feels any real improvement. Urinary problems immediately improve following laser surgery.

The following are some benefits of prostate laser surgery over more conventional procedures like open prostatectomy and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP):

1. Less Chance of Bleeding: Men who take blood thinners or have a bleeding issue that prevents their blood from clotting normally may find that laser surgery is a viable alternative.

2. Reduced Hospital Stay or None at All: One can get laser surgery as an outpatient procedure or only spend the night in the hospital.

3. Faster Recuperation: Laser surgery recovery is generally faster than TURP or open surgery recovery.

4. Reduced Necessity for a Catheter: Urine from the bladder must typically be drained using a tube (catheter) following surgery to treat an enlarged prostate.

What Is the Risk Factor of Prostate Laser Surgery?

Among the potential risks of prostate laser surgery are:

1. Momentary Trouble Passing Pee: A few days following the surgery, one may experience difficulty urinating. Urine will need to be transferred from the bladder into the penis through a tube called a catheter until the person can urinate on its own.

2. Infection in the Urinary Tract: This kind of infection can arise after any operation related to the prostate. The longer a catheter is in place, the higher the chance of infection. Antibiotics will probably be required to treat the infection.

3. Urethral Constriction or Narrowing: Urine flow obstruction following prostate surgery may result from scarring, necessitating further care.

4. Orgasm Without Moisture: Any form of prostate surgery frequently results in the long-term side effect of ejaculating into the bladder rather than the penis. Dry orgasm, also referred to as retrograde ejaculation, is generally not dangerous and has no effect on sexual enjoyment. However, it may make it more difficult to father a child.

5. Erectile Dysfunction: Following prostate treatments, there is a tiny and generally decreased incidence of erectile dysfunction with laser surgery as opposed to standard surgery.

6. Retrenchment Is Necessary: Following laser vaporization surgery, some men need additional care since the tissue may not be eliminated or may regrow over time.

Prostate laser surgery has a lower risk of serious long-term consequences than standard surgery.

How to Get Ready for Prostate Laser Surgery?

• Meals and Prescription Drugs: The doctor may advise to cease taking some drugs a few days before surgery if they raise the risk of bleeding. Examples of blood thinners include Warfarin or Clopidogrel. Antibiotics are likely to be provided to prevent urinary tract infections before the surgery. Nonprescription pain relievers like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or Naproxen sodium may also be given before the procedure.

• Additional Safety Measures: Make travel arrangements. Following the treatment, the patient will not be able to drive themselves home and might have a catheter in the bladder.

What to Anticipate During the Surgery?

The patient will either receive spinal anesthetic or general anesthesia before surgery. One will not lose consciousness while under a spinal anesthetic; instead, the pain will be suppressed from the operative site. The specific kind and method of laser employed during prostate laser surgery will determine the specifics of what to expect both during and after the procedure.

• In the Process: Through the tip of the penis and into the urethra, a thin fiber-optic scope is introduced. Urine flow-obstructing prostate tissue is removed or vaporized using a laser that is inserted through a scope. A doctor may also employ devices to remove chopped prostate tissue fragments from the bladder, depending on the surgery.

• Following the Process: The inability to urinate may require the placement of a urinary catheter due to edema. After the tube is withdrawn, if the patient is still unable to urinate, the doctor may choose to either reinsert the catheter to give it more time to heal or give self-inserted catheters that can be used several times a day until the swelling goes down and can urinate normally.

• Urine With Blood: For a few days to weeks following the surgery, urine with blood is normal. If the patient notices that bleeding is getting worse, that urine is thick like ketchup, or that blood clots are obstructing pee's flow, give the doctor a call.

• Discomfort During Urination: One might wake up more frequently during the night or feel the need to urinate urgently or frequently. The majority of men feel burning, particularly at the penis' tip and as they are about to urinate. These side effects from certain laser surgery procedures may persist for weeks or even months, contingent on the healing process and the size of the prostate.

• Having Trouble Holding Pee: When the bladder becomes accustomed to forcing pee through a urethra that has been restricted by enlarged prostate tissue, incontinence may result. This is a problem that most men get better with time.

Depending on the type of prostate laser surgery one has, one may need to stay overnight in the hospital or return home.

What Advice Will the Doctor Give After Treatment?

• Go Easy on Self: Wait for the doctor's approval before engaging in physical exercise, such as heavy lifting. After HoLEP, one might have to wait as long as two weeks, but for treatments like PVP, it could take a few days.

• Put off Having Sex: The physician may advise to wait one or two weeks following the surgery. Bleeding and pain can result from premature ejaculation.

Conclusion

For most guys, urine flow is improved by prostate laser surgery. Results are frequently enduring. In certain cases, more treatment is required because the prostate tissue grows back or the laser surgery is unable to remove the tissue, obstructing urine flow completely. If problems related to urination get worse, see the doctor.