Green Light Laser Surgery for Prostate Enlargement now available at Caboolture Private Hospital

Green light laser surgery for the prostate is also known as Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate, involves using a state of the art green light laser in the treatment of enlargement of the prostate gland or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. This new procedure is associated with fewer side effects and quicker recovery times than traditional surgery.

Enlargement of the prostate, or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BHP) is the most common problem experienced by older men, and can lead to troublesome urinary symptoms such as:

• A weak or slow urinary stream
• A feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
• Difficulty starting urination
• Frequent urination
• Urgency to urinate
• Getting up frequently at night to urinate
• A urinary stream that starts and stops
• Straining to urinate
• Continued dribbling of urine
• Returning to urinate again minutes after finishing

Treatment options include medication and surgery. Green light laser treatment is a new treatment option, different to traditional surgery. It is a minimally invasive procedure that evaporates the enlarged prostate tissue that is causing the block to urine flow from the bladder. It uses state of the art high power laser energy which is specifically absorbed by the blood inside prostate tissue. This energy absorption leads to vaporization of the targeted tissue, and opens up the once constricted passage to improve the flow of urine. This treatment is sometimes referred to as "bloodless therapy" as the laser seals blood vessels beneath the area of vaporization during the procedure, resulting in significantly less bleeding compared to traditional surgery methods, called transurethral resection of prostate (TURP).

Which patients are suitable for Green Light Laser Therapy?

All men with prostate enlargement who require surgery or who are not responding to medication therapy are suitable for Green Light Laser Therapy. Initially, most men with symptomatic prostate enlargement are prescribed Prostate drugs. If symptoms progress, these men will require surgical treatment. Additionally, if patients experience complications from their prostate enlargement, such as bladder infection, bladder stone, inability to pass urine (retention) or kidney failure, they will also require surgery.

Green Light Laser therapy is especially advantageous for patients who are on blood thinning medications such as Aspirin or patients who are taking anti-coagulation drugs such as Warfarin.

How is Green Light Laser Therapy performed?

Green Light Laser Therapy at Caboolture Private Hospital is performed by an accredited urological surgeon, experienced in Green Light Laser therapy, as an inpatient procedure and usually requires an anaesthetic. Your hospital stay is usually one night, depending upon your doctor's advice.

Once you are under anaesthetic, a special camera will be passed through the urinary opening of your penis into the urethra, prostate and bladder. There are no cuts or incisions required to perform this procedure. The green light laser fiber is passed through the scope and the laser commences to vaporise the affected tissue, which usually takes about 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the prostate.

At the end of treatment, a catheter (small rubber tube) will be inserted through your penis, which will assist urine drainage directly from the bladder into a bag.

What will I expect after the procedure?

Your catheter will be removed within 24 hours once your normal urine flow is established. It is normal to see a small amount of blood in your urine, which will lighten up to your normal urine colour within a few days after you leave hospital. You can return to normal activities and work within 4-5 day.

Are there any complications?

As with any treatment, side effects can occur, however, Green Light Laser has fewer complications than traditional prostate surgical treatments. The Green Light laser has been shown to have shorter hospital stays and fewer complications.

Common to all prostate surgery, sexual side effects such as retrograde ejaculation and in rare instances, erectile dysfunction (impotence) can occur. This occurs in about 1% of cases. Even more rarely, scar tissue build up has occurred in the urethra.

Is the Green Light Laser treatment covered by private health insurance?

Yes