Through major medical developments, lasers have become increasingly prevalent in treating urological circumstances over the past few decades. Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), bladder stones, and kidney stones can advantage from laser-based therapies. The use of lasers in urology is not new-fangled, but investigation proposes lasers will become more routine to treat urological illnesses as the year’s progress. Many old-style operations have been phased out in favor of laser approaches. The incessant progress in surgical lasers supplied by Urology Laser Suppliers with fiber optics, united with the widespread use of miniaturized endoscopic instruments able to go where a hand or scalpel could never reach, makes laser surgery the best support for the urologist and the growth of endourology. particularly holmium and thulium lasers offer advanced performance with a lower intraoperative bleeding danger and shorter hospital stays and catheterization of patients, making endoscopic procedures harmless and less invasive than old-style surgical techniques and open surgery.
A look at the different Urology Treatments using lasers
Endosurgical laser treatments for BPH
BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) – The laser has been used since the 80s for the treatment of BPH: after numerous evolutions of laser bases and surgical methods, today the holmium laser and the more recent latest generation thulium laser, are the most advanced skill and high-performance tools for endoscopic prostatectomy procedures.
In the foundation, the pulsed Ho: YAG laser, with its wavelength of 2,100 nm (well engrossed by the water controlled in tissues), was used for the evaporation of the prostate, through HoLAP (Holmium Laser Ablation of the Prostate), an ablation process that is easy to learn but does not yield great consequences, particularly for large prostates. Later, HoLEP (Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate) was advanced: an enucleation method that, with the support of the morcellator, empowers the treatment of BPH, irrespective of the size of the adenomas. In recent years, a new laser source has added admiration after holmium: the thulium laser. The influx of the second generation of 1.9 µm Thulium laser, united with a 1,470 nm Raman, helped further spread the use of ThuLEP (Thulium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate).
The MultiPulse HoPLUS and MultiPulse Tm+1470 systems by Asclepion Laser Technologies GmbH epitomize the latest technology obtainable today to urologists for transurethral operations, allowing them to operate on a prostate of any size for detailed adenoma removal at the surgical capsule level. These machines are brilliant, minimally invasive, effective, and safe replacements for traditional TURP and open prostatectomy. The prostate enucleation with Ho: YAG or Thulium + 1470 Raman laser is less prone to repetitions or problems (such as TUR condition or bleeding during and after surgery) and includes shorter periods of catheterization and hospitalization. Thanks to their outstanding hemostatic effect, they are suggested in case of surgery on cardiopathic patients or those with clotting glitches (e.g. under those being treated with anticoagulants). Furthermore, the use of the morcellator, unlike other events, permits histopathological analysis to be done on removed tissue in all cases. Additionally, JenaSurgical bids its first stand-alone morcellation system, the MultiCut Solo, since 2021. It is autonomous of any other laser system and can be used to improve the set of a urologist. It works certainly fast and safely and morcellates very professionally.
Endoscopic Lithotripsy and Treatments for Pebbles in the Urinary Structure
Even for the surgical treatment of urinary tract stones, the growth of holmium lasers bought from Urology Laser Suppliers has presented safer and minimally invasive substitutes compared to traditional lithotripsy methods.
Due to this, the Asclepion Laser Technologies GmbH product series comprises holmium systems with fiber sets especially industrialized for laser endoscopic lithotripsies such as MultiPulse Ho (35 W) and MultiPulse HoPLUS (140 W), which support urological surgical treatment for the treatment of a wider range of illnesses.
The various lithotripsy methods are used from time to time rendering the shape, size, chemical configuration and anatomical location of the stone to be treated. The patient’s indications and condition such as the attendance of stenosis of the urinary tract are two other important standards for selecting the procedure. The major benefits of using a Ho: YAG laser sources like the one supplied with MultiPulse Ho and MultiPulse HoPLUS comprise high efficiency for all kinds of stones and a low percentage of relocation and retrograde thrust of remains treated.
If ureteroscopy (URS) is appropriate for the surgical treatment of different kinds of ureteral stones, RIRS (Retrograde Intra-Renal Surgery) can be considered as the development of URS which, using latest generation endoscopes, also treats many kidney stones. Using a supple ureterorenoscopy with active and passive refraction, it is conceivable to reach the kidney cavity backward.
Neither of these procedures needs cuts: a ureteroscope or a ureterorenoscopy is directly introduced through the urethra into the bladder, ureter, and then, if essential, in the kidney channels. The laser light is transported via a flexible fiber optic implanted in the endoscope until it enters into direct contact with the stone. Here, the energy produced by holmium causes pulverization or disintegration. In the first case, the scum is later expelled naturally with urination; in the second case, the rubbles are gathered and removed using special probes called “stone baskets”.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the process most often used for bigger kidney stones or those of harder consistency. Under general anesthesia, a small cut is made on the patient’s side at the level of the kidney, for the straight passage of a nephroscope that brings the laser in direct contact with the kidney stone for disintegration. When the operation is finished, a special inner catheter (double- J stent) is introduced, to being a link between the kidney and the bladder to permit the outflow of urine, thus evading the occurrence of colic.
Urethral Stricture
The growth of more effective and long-lasting treatments for urethral stricture, using negligibly invasive and safe procedures, endures being an important research area. These fibrotic strictures of the urethra, ensuing from spongiofibrosis inventing from different causes such as inflammation or trauma, can now be rapidly and effectively treated with thulium or holmium laser urethrotomy using MultiPulse Ho, MultiPulse HoPLUS or MultiPulse Tm+1470. The use of the laser is appropriate for short urethral strictures as well as for more important strictures or the treatment of urethral atresia. The laser achieves the ablation of the injured tissue with a clean cut, free of bleeding and without piercing too deeply. This decreases the danger of lateral thermal damage, problems, repetitions, or the creation of post-surgery fibrosis, ensuing in the complete restoration of normal urinary flow.
Tumors
The laser is an outstanding surgical instrument extensively used in surgical oncology. In urology, the Thulium lasers can be used for the erasure of tumors of the urethra, bladder, ureter, and kidneys. The use of wavelengths, that are conveyed through fiber optics, permits the work to be done easily by the endoscope. By altering the parameters, detailed control of both the cutting and ablation is attained. In specific, the MultiPulse Tm+1470 system permits quick work with an excellent hemostatic effect (it can be attuned merely using a lever according to the need, by appropriately mixing the two wavelengths 1,940 nm and 1,470 nm) and tremendously abridged thermal damage to the surrounding tissue.
Handling Prostate Cancer with Lasers
Prostate cancer is the most mutual malignancy found in men. Advancements in medical dominion have made treating different kinds of cancer with lasers a real-world possibility. In medical trials, doctors are using lasers that are available with Urology Laser Dealers to treat prostate cancer, among other sicknesses.
Focal Laser Treatment
The use of lasers as the prime treatment for prostate cancer is still an emerging area of medicine. One developing technique is known as focal laser treatment. The theory is that men with prostate cancer limited to a single part will benefit from this laser treatment as it’s less risky than eliminating the entire prostate gland. It is also said to avoid problems related to prostatectomy and radiotherapy.
Focal laser treatment works by finding and abolishing a small area of cancerous cells with laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT). As this process is still in the early phases of development, many believe it’s too early to endorse routinely. In addition, an investigation is still being conducted into the side effects and security of focal laser treatment. One key anxiety is the potential to miss tumorous cells by only targeting a small part.