Long-Term Follow-Up Results of Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate with the 120 W Greenlight HPS Laser for Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Purpose: With the use of 12 months of follow-up data, this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) with the 120 W Greenlight high performance system (HPS) laser for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Materials and methods: Data were collected from 104 patients who were diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia and who underwent PVP with the 120 W Greenlight HPS Laser. Postoperative parameters, including International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual volume (PVR), were assessed and compared with preoperative baseline values.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 71.1±7.7. The baseline mean prostate-specific antigen level was 3.8±2.7 ng/ml, the mean prostate size was 43.9±20.6 g, the mean preoperative IPSS was 18.4±8.5, the mean QoL score was 4.1±1.0, the mean Qmax was 9.9±5.5 ml/sec, and the mean PVR was 89.6±207.1 ml. During surgery, the mean operation time was 21.8±11.3 minutes, the mean lasing time was 16.9±10.5 minutes, and the mean total applied energy was 170,068±63,181 J. At 1 month, significant improvements were observed in total IPSS (11.5±6.7, p<0.05), voiding symptom score (6.1±5.4, p<0.05), and QoL score (2.2±1.5, p<0.05); however, there were no significant improvements in storage symptom score (4.8±3.8, p=0.06), Qmax (12.6±10.2, p=0.06), and PVR (40.1±30.5, p=0.41). However, 3 months after surgery, all postoperative follow-up parameters showed significant improvements, and the 6- and 12-month data showed sustained improvement of postoperative follow-up parameters.

Conclusions: Significant improvements were observed in subjective and objective voiding parameters, which were evident at 3 months after PVP and were sustained throughout a period of 12 months after PVP.