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Visual laser ablation of the canine prostate with a diffusing fiber and an 805‐nanometer diode laser
Author(s) -
Cromeens Douglas M.,
Johnson Douglas E.,
Stephens L. Clifton,
Gray Kenneth N.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9101(1996)19:2<135::aid-lsm3>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - laser , ablation , prostate , materials science , laser ablation , fiber laser , diode , fiber , biomedical engineering , medicine , optics , optoelectronics , cancer , composite material , physics
Background and Objective Although the popularity of visual laser ablation of the prostate (VLAP) as a treatment for symptomatic, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is increasing, the perceived advantages of VLAP over conventional transurethral electroresection of the prostate (TURP) is being debated because optimal technique and dosimetry for surgical lasers are still being refined. At this time, the 1.06 neodymium:yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet (Nd:YAG) laser and a laterally deflecting delivery system is the hardware combination most widely used for VLAP. Study Design/Materials and Methods Reported here is a study of an alternate system, a 805‐nm diode laser (Diomed 25® Diomedics, The Woodlands, TX) with a cylindrically diffusing fiber (Surgimedics Inc., The Woodlands, TX). Eight mongrel dogs were prostatectomized by transurethral irradiation of the prostate with 15,000 J of diode laser energy delivered via a fiber that diffuses the energy in a 1.5‐cm‐long cylindrical pattern. The dogs were sacrificed and prostates harvested at 3 hours and 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 35, and 49 days after the procedure, fixed with 10% buffered formalin, and examined histologically. Results/Conclusions It was found that this laser/fiber combination created volumes of tissue coagulation similar to those encountered in our previous work with the Nd:YAG laser in combination with both laterally deflecting and diffuser fibers, while offering the distinct advantages of simplified technique, lower cost hardware, and fewer postoperative complications in the dog model. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.