Prostate Treatment with Laser Method: Thulium Laser

by Abbas Jahangir · June 15, 2024

One of the common problems in middle and older aged men is benign prostate enlargement. When complaints, which can often be controlled with medications in the initial stages, increase over time and require surgical intervention, the most current treatment alternative is laser prostate surgery.

What is laser? How is it used in surgeries?

Laser can be defined as very intense light produced in special elemental environments.
Laser energy is used in surgeries to cut away (enucleation) or vaporize (ablation) prostate tissue.
Since the high heat from the laser cuts the tissue and seals the blood vessels, bleeding is minimal in this type of surgical procedure.

When should laser prostate surgery be considered?

Benign prostate enlargement weighing more than 30 grams
Those with moderate or severe urination complaints
Patients whose complaints do not go away or worsen despite using medication are suitable for laser prostatectomy. There is no upper size limit for enucleation laser prostatectomy.
Since it causes very little bleeding during and after the procedure, it is preferred in patients using blood thinners.

What are the types of lasers used in prostate surgery?

Laser has been used in benign prostate surgeries for 40 years. Prostate lasers are generally divided into two groups: vaporizers and cutters.

1.Tissue Evaporation Lasers:

In this method, the prostate tissue causing the obstruction is sealed with a laser and evaporated (vaporization) to open the urinary tract.
The most commonly used and well-known evaporative laser is the KTP Green Light laser.
In the past, Neodymium Yag Laser and Holmium Laser have also been used to vaporize prostate tissue.
In recent years, the popularity of the evaporation method has decreased after the more effective “laser cutting” method, which we call enucleation, was developed.

2. Tissue Cutter Lasers:

Laser radiation obtained with Thulium, Holmium and Erbium elements is used as tissue cutting.
The enlarged prostate tissue is cut with laser energy and pushed into the bladder, then it is cut into very small pieces and taken out with the help of a tool called a morcellator.
The removed tissues are sent for pathological examination.

What is the Thulium Method?

The latest laser used in prostate surgery is Thulium. Thulium fiber laser (TFL) prostate enucleation is the last described method. There is no upper limit on prostate size for thulium fiber laser prostatectomy. It can be applied to all patients with complaints and a prostate larger than 30 grams.

With the most advanced laser technology;