Green light for green light laser
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has already approved the use of Holmium laser surgery for carrying out prostatectomies. It has now approved the use of a different laser (wave length 552 nm rather than 2100 nm) for carrying out operations to relieve the symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). This shorter wavelength KTP laser light is often referred to as green light.
BPH is a non-malignant disease of the prostate which may lead to gland enlargement that can cause prostatic obstruction. This obstruction can be managed medically or surgically. The gold standard surgical treatment has for many years been transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). However, the relatively high morbidity for TURP has driven the development of less invasive techniques.
Green light laser vaporisation involves the insertion of a small flexible fibre-optic tube into the urethra. Light pulses are then sent through this fibre vaporising and removing the prostatic obstruction. The procedure can be conducted in an outpatient setting, and takes little more than half an hour.
Prof. Roger Kirby is one of the first surgeons in the country to use green light laser to treat BPH. He is also currently installing a £1.5 million robotic assistant to help him operate on his patients. The treatment is already available to NHS patients at Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital in London.
'Using laser surgery minimises bleeding and means that patients who suffer from non-cancerous prostate disease can be in and out of hospital in 24 hours, instead of almost a week as they would be using conventional surgery,' he says. 'The robot will minimise blood loss and ensure a much happier outcome and faster recovery for prostate cancer patients.'